The US has exposed a large-scale scheme to employ North Korean IT specialists in tech companies

The US Department of Justice has announced a major crackdown on a scheme in which North Korean IT professionals were illegally employed by US technology companies, using the proceeds to fund North Korea’s missile program and steal data and cryptocurrency, TechCrunch reports.

The central figure in the investigation is U.S. citizen Zhenxing "Danny" Wang of New Jersey, who is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering and identity theft. His scheme, according to investigators, brought in more than $5 million to the North Korean regime.

The case also includes eight other defendants — six Chinese citizens and two Taiwanese citizens — who acted together with Wang, disguising foreign professionals as Americans and creating shell companies in the United States.

From 2021 to 2024, participants in the scheme used fake identities of more than 80 people to secure remote jobs at at least 100 U.S. companies. The losses from the operation are estimated at $3 million, including legal fees and data breach recovery costs.

During the raids, the FBI seized 137 laptops at 21 locations across 14 states. In total, the government seized more than 70 remote access devices, 29 financial accounts, 21 web domains and other equipment. Separate charges were also filed against five North Koreans who stole more than $900,000 in cryptocurrency from two companies.

According to representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the operation demonstrates the scale of North Korea's activities in the digital sphere and the regime's attempts to integrate its specialists into the global IT ecosystem.