Overview

• Two North Korean nationals and three facilitators, including two Americans, were indicted for a scheme to secure remote IT jobs at U.S. companies under false pretenses.
• The operation, running from 2018 to 2024, involved creating fake identities and resumes to bypass security measures and secure IT positions for North Korean workers.
• The scheme generated at least $866,255, most of which was laundered through a Chinese bank account and likely funneled to North Korea's weapons programs.
• American defendant Emanuel Ashtor operated a 'laptop farm' in North Carolina to help conceal the workers' true locations and identities from employers.
• The FBI has issued warnings about the ongoing threat of North Korean IT workers infiltrating U.S. businesses and stealing sensitive data to support the regime.