The U.S. Department of Justice has charged 14 North Koreans with $88 million in fraud through employment in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Justice has charged 14 North Koreans with a massive fraud scheme in which they stole the personal information of U.S. citizens, worked for U.S. companies and transferred the proceeds to the North Korean government.
According to the indictment filed in federal court in Missouri, the 14 individuals were able to earn at least $88 million between 2017 and 2023 working as IT professionals for US companies and non-profit organizations. They used stolen or forged American documents to hide their North Korean identity. In addition to high salaries, some of the accused blackmailed their employers by threatening to reveal confidential information in exchange for a lump sum. The Justice Ministry also found that the group operated through two North Korean companies in China and Russia: Yanbian Silver Star and Borasis Silver Star that employed North Korean workers.
The wages of these workers were transferred to the North Korean government to finance its program. The scam involving North Korean IT workers was a way for the North Korean government to circumvent international sanctions and obtain funds. The US has repeatedly exposed such scams, which led to arrests and the closure of domains associated with them. The government also emphasized the need for more thorough checks when hiring remote workers. The incident underscores the scale of the global cyber threat posed by North Korea and the importance of strengthening security measures to protect corporate data.
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