US uncovers North Koreans masquerading as American tech workers to finance weapons: report

North Korean technology workers have been caught posing as Americans to secure remote work contracts with hundreds of US companies in a scheme to fund Pyongyang’s illicit nuclear weapons and missile programs, the US government revealed on Thursday.

According to the State Department, a US national named Christina Chapman of Arizona assisted three North Korean IT workers in obtaining “illicit telework employment” using the identities of US citizens, earning approximately $6.8 million over three years starting in October 2020.

More than 300 US companies fell victim to the fraud, with the Justice Department announcing charges against Chapman and other alleged co-conspirators. The scheme involved infiltrating US job markets through fraud to raise revenue for North Korea’s illicit nuclear program.

The North Korean workers also attempted to gain employment and information from two US government agencies, which are linked to North Korea’s ballistic missile and weapons programs. Chapman operated a “laptop farm” from her home, hosting computers issued by US companies for the North Korean workers to make it appear as though they were based in the US.

In addition to facing charges for identity theft, Chapman also helped launder the proceeds through her own financial accounts, resulting in false documentation being filed to the Department of Homeland Security and the Internal Revenue Service.

This revelation comes as North Korea faces sanctions for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, resorting to deploying IT workers overseas for revenue. The US State Department is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information that disrupts efforts to fund North Korea’s weapons program. North Korea has also been known to use fake job offers to obtain sensitive information from US employees.