Washington, DC [US], October 30 (HBTV): Former US President Donald Trump's son, Eric Trump, and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are reportedly being targeted by Chinese government-linked hackers as part of a large-scale cyber-espionage campaign affecting senior leaders in both the Republican and Democratic parties, US officials suspect, according to CNN.

This report comes just days before the US election scheduled for November 5.

Sources indicate that the hackers are targeting the calls and text data of Eric Trump, Jared Kushner, and potentially dozens of others. Other targets include former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance, and individuals associated with the Harris-Walz campaign. Prominent Democrats, including staff members of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have also reportedly been targeted.

The extent of the hack has been described as "way worse than the public knows," with officials still investigating its full impact, according to sources familiar with the intelligence.

In some instances, the hackers may have had access to the call and text data of their targets for several months. The FBI is actively notifying those affected.

Notably, the New York Times was the first to report that Eric Trump and Kushner were specifically targeted.

US officials investigating the hacking campaign, which involved intrusions at US telecom firms AT&T, Lumen, and Verizon, consider it one of the most concerning national security-related hacks in recent memory, more serious than initial reports suggested, CNN reported.

The timing of these revelations coincides with a critical FBI investigation into the hacking affecting both the Trump and Harris campaigns, coming just before an important election. While the hackers do not appear to be attempting to influence the election, as some Iranian hackers did earlier this year, they seem to be gathering intelligence on the private communications of key officials from both parties, which would be of particular interest to Beijing.

Investigators also believe the hackers may be seeking other sensitive national security information, including details about wiretap warrant requests made by the Justice Department, according to CNN.   

(ANI)