US announces arrest, charges in plot where North Koreans posed as American tech workers
North Korean workers used compromised identities of more than 80 US citizens to obtain remote jobs at US companies
The US Justice Department announced one arrest and charges against nine more people in connection with an alleged scheme in which North Koreans posed as American tech workers to gain lucrative jobs and fund the country’s government.
The North Koreans used stolen identities to gain employment with multiple American companies, according to the indictments. They were allegedly helped by people in the US, China, United Arab Emirates and Taiwan, who created fake companies and fraudulent websites to enable the illicit activity, US officials said.
Zhenxing “Danny” Wang, a US citizen from New Jersey, was arrested for his alleged role in a multi-year fraud operation to obtain remote IT work that gained more than US$5 million in revenue, according to the indictment.
Wang, along with fellow defendants from mainland China and Taiwan, also allegedly created shell companies, fake websites and financial accounts in order to help overseas IT workers appear to be affiliated with legitimate American businesses.
A lawyer for Wang could not immediately be located for comment.
Four North Korean nationals who used fake identities to pose as remote tech workers were also charged with allegedly stealing more than US$900,000 in virtual currency from two companies. After gaining their employers’ trust, the North Koreans gained access to their virtual assets, stole the money and then laundered it using a cryptocurrency mixer called Tornado Cash, according to the Justice Department.
