Contact with Foreign RelativesContact with foreign relatives, or other persons in foreign countries to whom you have ties of affection, influence, or obligation, can be a security concern -- especially if those persons are in a country known to conduct intelligence operations against the United States. The greater your value as an intelligence target, the more likely these persons will be exploited to gain information about you. The more vulnerable they are to coercion, exploitation, or pressure (for example, they work for the government or are dependent upon the government in any other way), the more likely they are to be used for this purpose. The likelihood that a foreign security or intelligence service will develop interest in you may be increased by actions you take that draw the services attention to your ties of affection for or obligation to one of its citizens. This includes regular mail or telephone contact, sending packages or money or medicine, or visiting a foreign relative or associate. The more frequent and extensive the contact, or the stronger the apparent ties of affection or obligation, the greater the chances that the contact will come to the attention of and be exploited by the foreign security or intelligence service. If the foreign security or intelligence service identifies you as a target, they may seek to assess your vulnerabilities and gradually draw you into a web of compromising circumstances. Indications that such a process may be underway include:
Related Topics: Avoiding/Recognizing Foreign Intelligence Interest, and How Do I Know When I'm Being Targeted and Assessed?
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