The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) produced a video to warn American college students who are studying abroad from becoming spies for other countries, WWMT-TV reported.
The movie, "Game of Pawns," is a fictional take on the real life of Glenn Shriver, a college graduate who moved to China in 2004 and took money from Chinese government officials in exchange for obtaining U.S. intelligence.
"Anytime anyone goes abroad, there are risks," said Adrienne Martin of the UC Davis International Programs. "I don't know if we should be worried about it but definitely aware and I think that is why the FBI has brought it to our attention and we definitely will look at it."
According to FBI officials, foreign agents try to lure students with an internship or job opportunity and then work them for intelligence.
Nearly 300,000 students from the U.S. studied abroad last year, according to the Institute of International Education. The FBI is urging anyone who may be studying overseas to watch the video before leaving in order to be aware of the risks.
"These experiences provide students with tremendous cultural opportunities and can equip them with specialized language, technical, and leadership skills that make them very marketable to U.S. private industry and government employers," the FBI said of studying abroad.
"But this same marketability makes these students tempting and vulnerable targets for recruitment by foreign intelligence officers whose long-term goal is to gain access to sensitive or classified U.S. information. Glenn Shriver-prodded by foreign intelligence officers into eventually applying for U.S. government jobs-cited his naivety as a key factor in his actions."
You can watch the video below.
