(AP) – The U.S. Justice Department says it has tracked a massive theft of Americans’ personal information to the Chinese military.
This July 21, 2012 file photo shows signage at the corporate headquarters of Equifax Inc., in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, File)
Four Chinese have been formally charged, though they are unlikely to ever face trial.
The four are accused of breaking into the computer networks of the Equifax credit reporting agency and stealing the personal information of nearly 150 million Americans. They are also accused of stealing the company’s trade secrets in the 2017 hack.
The case comes as President Donald Trump is touting his relationship with China but also as the administration is warning against efforts by Beijing to collect data on Americans, including potential spies, as well as steal scientific research and innovation.
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