North Korean Operatives Infiltrated 100+ U.S. Tech Firms Using Fake Identities
Work News | New Stardom
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North Korean IT operatives embedded in over 100 American tech companies using stolen identities and deepfake interviews, according to new indictments unsealed by the U.S. Department of Justice. The remote work scheme, which ran from 2021 to 2024, allegedly funneled millions of dollars to Pyongyang and compromised sensitive data, including AI technology from a California defense contractor.
At the center of the operation was a U.S. citizen from New Jersey, Zhenxing “Danny” Wang, who prosecutors say helped build the network by laundering payments through shell companies and setting up U.S.-based “laptop farms” to mask the operatives’ locations. Eight others—six Chinese and two Taiwanese nationals—were also indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, identity theft, money laundering, and sanctions violations.
Federal agents seized 137 laptops, 29 financial accounts, and 21 domains linked to the scheme in coordinated raids across 14 states. In a separate case, five North Korean nationals were charged with stealing nearly $1 million in cryptocurrency from two American companies using similar methods.
Tech firms began flagging the pattern earlier this year: North Korean operatives posing as U.S. jobseekers, often using LinkedIn profiles and AI tools to pass interviews, then requesting equipment be shipped to domestic addresses. These laptop hubs allowed them to manage multiple fake personas at once.
Cybersecurity experts say the infiltration has reached dozens of Fortune 500 firms. Some operatives held multiple jobs simultaneously, earning as much as $300,000 per role and feeding that revenue into North Korea’s heavily sanctioned economy.
Federal officials say the exposure of the network underscores the growing intersection of remote work vulnerabilities, identity fraud, and nation-state cyber operations.
Sources:
TechCrunch | Politico
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