Law enforcement officers want to close the issue of spies penetration into private and state-owned companies once and for all.
The United States is offering a reward of up to $ 5 million for information that will help stop the employment scheme of North Korean hackers for remote IT positions in American companies.
The U.S. State Department announced the award shortly after federal prosecutors charged Arizona resident Kristina Chapman. She is suspected of helping North Koreans find jobs in the United States from October 2020 to October 2023.
The Awards for Justice (RFJ) program, run by the Diplomatic Security Service, offers up to $ 5 million for information that leads to a violation of financial mechanisms that support the DPRK. The press release mentions North Korean IT workers using the pseudonyms Ji Ho Han, Chun Ji Jin, and Haoran Xu, as well as their manager Zhonghua.
These individuals allegedly participated in a scheme that allowed them to obtain illegal remote jobs in the United States, using fake identities of more than 60 real American citizens.
"If you have any information about Han, Jin, Xu, Zhonghua, their associates, or their activities, please send it via our Tor - based communication line. You may be able to apply for an award and relocation, " the State Department said.
According to the State Department, the scheme described above has already brought North Korea at least $ 6.8 million. Chapman actively helped North Korean spies find work in various sectors and sectors of the American economy. Moreover, the hackers even tried to get a job in two US government agencies, but they did not succeed.
Four North Koreans, according to the investigation, are connected with the Department of Military Industry of North Korea, which oversees the development of ballistic missiles and the production of weapons.
"As stated in the indictment, Chapman and her co-conspirators committed fraud and stole the identities of American citizens to allow people abroad to impersonate internal, remote IT workers," said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri, head of the Justice Department's criminal division.
"These charges should send a message to American companies and government agencies that hire remote IT workers. These crimes generated revenue for the North Korean government and, in some cases, allowed the enemy to steal confidential information," Argentieri added.
According to media reports, North Korean IT workers have been secretly working for American companies for many years, sending millions of dollars to their homeland. They used stolen identity cards and social Security numbers, and paid American workers to conduct video interviews and conference calls.
In the spring of 2022, the FBI issued a warning that North Korea was sending highly qualified IT professionals around the world to generate revenue for the local government. And in 2023, the FBI confiscated 17 websites used by these employees to hide their identity and find employment in American companies.
The United States is offering a reward of up to $ 5 million for information that will help stop the employment scheme of North Korean hackers for remote IT positions in American companies.
The U.S. State Department announced the award shortly after federal prosecutors charged Arizona resident Kristina Chapman. She is suspected of helping North Koreans find jobs in the United States from October 2020 to October 2023.
The Awards for Justice (RFJ) program, run by the Diplomatic Security Service, offers up to $ 5 million for information that leads to a violation of financial mechanisms that support the DPRK. The press release mentions North Korean IT workers using the pseudonyms Ji Ho Han, Chun Ji Jin, and Haoran Xu, as well as their manager Zhonghua.
These individuals allegedly participated in a scheme that allowed them to obtain illegal remote jobs in the United States, using fake identities of more than 60 real American citizens.
"If you have any information about Han, Jin, Xu, Zhonghua, their associates, or their activities, please send it via our Tor - based communication line. You may be able to apply for an award and relocation, " the State Department said.
According to the State Department, the scheme described above has already brought North Korea at least $ 6.8 million. Chapman actively helped North Korean spies find work in various sectors and sectors of the American economy. Moreover, the hackers even tried to get a job in two US government agencies, but they did not succeed.
Four North Koreans, according to the investigation, are connected with the Department of Military Industry of North Korea, which oversees the development of ballistic missiles and the production of weapons.
"As stated in the indictment, Chapman and her co-conspirators committed fraud and stole the identities of American citizens to allow people abroad to impersonate internal, remote IT workers," said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri, head of the Justice Department's criminal division.
"These charges should send a message to American companies and government agencies that hire remote IT workers. These crimes generated revenue for the North Korean government and, in some cases, allowed the enemy to steal confidential information," Argentieri added.
According to media reports, North Korean IT workers have been secretly working for American companies for many years, sending millions of dollars to their homeland. They used stolen identity cards and social Security numbers, and paid American workers to conduct video interviews and conference calls.
In the spring of 2022, the FBI issued a warning that North Korea was sending highly qualified IT professionals around the world to generate revenue for the local government. And in 2023, the FBI confiscated 17 websites used by these employees to hide their identity and find employment in American companies.
