The US Department of Justice has announced on Monday that it has taken several mandatory actions against North Korea’s monetary operations, which rely on undercover remote IT workers in US technology companies Earn money for the regime nuclear weapons program, as well as to steal data and cryptocurrency.
As part of Doj’s multi -state effort, the government announced the arrest and Charge from the US National Zhenxing “Danny” Wang, who is said to have hosted a multi-year fraudulent scheme of New Jerseyerzejo to hide remote North Korean IT workers in US TE Companiesnological companies. According to the charge, the scheme generated more than $ 5 million in revenue for the North Korean mode.
Wang is accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, washing money and theft of identity.
The federations too Charged eight more people Who participated in the scheme: six Chinese nationals and two Taiwanese citizens, who are accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, washing money, theft of identity, hacking and violating sanctions.
“Thousands of North Korean Cyber operations have been trained and deployed by the regime to merge into the global digital workforce and systematically target US companies,” Leah B. Foley, a US lawyer for the District of Massachusetts, was cited.
From 2021 to 2024, co-conspirators allegedly replaced more than 80 US individuals to obtain remote jobs at more than 100 US companies, causing $ 3 million in damage due to legal fees, database remedy efforts and more.
The group reportedly managed portable farms in the United States, which the North Korean IT workers could essentially use as predators to hide their origin, according to the Doj. Sometimes they used device devices known as Keyboard Video Mouse (KVM) Switcheswhich allow one person to control multiple computers from one keyboard and mouse. The group is said to have also arranged shell companies in the United States to pretend that the North Korean IT workers were affiliated with legitimate local companies and get money, which would then be delivered abroad, the DOJ said.
The fraudulent scheme allegedly also involved the North Korean workers stealing sensitive data, such as source code, from the companies for which they worked, such as by an unnamed California based defense entrepreneur “who develops artificial smart equipment and technologies.”
The DOJ said the FBI did searches earlier in June in 21 locations across 14 states, which reportedly hosted laptop farms used by the North Korean scheme. The FBI captured 137 laptops as a result of the attacks.
The Fed also said they captured at least 21 online domains, 29 financial accounts used to wash tens of thousands of dollars, and more than 70 laptops and remote access devices, including KVMs.
Five North Korean nationals were charged with wireless fraud and washing money after they stole more than $ 900,000 in a crypt of two unnamed companies, thanks to their use of fake or stolen identities, the DOJ said.
