US charges five people over scheme to recruit IT professionals from North Korea

24 January 2025 2 minutes Author: Newsman

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged five individuals, including two North Korean nationals, in a fraudulent employment scheme for IT professionals that violated international sanctions. The scheme generated more than $866,000 for the DPRK.

The defendants, including North Korean nationals Jin Song-il and Park Jin-song, as well as others from Mexico and the United States, organized a large-scale fraudulent employment scheme for IT professionals. The participants used forged documents and fictitious addresses to recruit North Koreans to work remotely for U.S. companies.

The investigation found that from April 2018 to August 2024, the defendants obtained jobs at 64 U.S. companies. During that period, they earned more than $866,000, most of which was transferred to Chinese bank accounts.

In particular, Chin used a fictitious identity to obtain a job at a US IT company with a salary of $120,000 per year. One of the participants, Eric Ntekerese Prince, used his company to issue fictitious invoices to an American employer. Laptops provided by the companies were used to connect to systems in China and Russia via remote access.

The investigation also included previous arrests, including the arrest in August 2024 of a Tennessee man for helping North Koreans find jobs. Last month, 14 North Korean nationals were charged in a conspiracy that generated $88 million over six years.

The FBI says that North Korean IT professionals are not only making money, but also stealing confidential company data, blackmailing owners and facilitating cybercrime for the regime.

The scheme is part of a broader campaign by North Korea to employ its IT professionals abroad. Attackers create fake profiles, including GitHub accounts, freelance platforms, and fake websites. North Korean operatives also use the gained access to corporate networks to steal data and carry out attacks. Such schemes remain a serious threat to global cybersecurity, especially in the era of digitalization.

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