The Justice Department recently took action regarding the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) government’s schemes to fund its regime through remote information technology (IT) work for U.S. companies.
Actions include searches of 29 known or suspected “laptop farms” in 16 states, the seizure of 29 financial accounts used to launder illicit funds, the seizure of 21 fraudulent websites, two indictments and an arrest.
“These schemes target and steal from U.S. companies and are designed to evade sanctions and fund the North Korean regime’s illicit programs, including its weapons programs,” John A. Eisenberg, Justice Department’s National Security Division assistant attorney general, said. “The Justice Department, along with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners, will persistently pursue and dismantle these cyber-enabled revenue generation networks.”
North Korean citizens fraudulently obtained employment with more than 100 U.S. companies as remote IT workers using stolen and fake identities, according to court documents. People in the United States, China, United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan assisted the North Koreans.
In one scheme, a Georgia-based blockchain research and development company employed North Korean IT workers who used false or fraudulently obtained identities to gain employment. The workers stole virtual currency worth approximately more than $900,000.