North Korea’s Digital Army Involved in Massive Fraud Scheme in the U.S., Funding Weapons Programs

The U.S. Department of Justice has uncovered a massive fraud scheme orchestrated by North Korea’s digital army, which involved identity theft and the siphoning of funds from American companies to finance Pyongyang’s weapons programs.

According to the Justice Department, at least two U.S. citizens collaborated with North Korean agents between 2021 and 2024 to carry out identity theft. The fraudsters used stolen identities to pose as remote software engineers and secure jobs at U.S. companies. The salaries earned by these fake employees were then funneled to North Korea.

John Eisenberg, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security, stated, “These schemes target U.S. companies, rob them, and aim to fund the illegal programs of the North Korean regime, particularly its weapons programs.”

Over 80 U.S. Citizens’ Identities Stolen
The Justice Department revealed that the suspects first stole the personal information of more than 80 U.S. citizens. Using this data, they created fake identities and applied for remote jobs at U.S. companies, posing as software engineers living in the U.S. However, the applicants were actually individuals living in China and Taiwan.

Once hired, the fake employees requested that company laptops be sent to addresses in New Jersey, New York, and California. These addresses were actually “laptop farms” controlled by North Korean operatives. The laptops were connected to hard drives and managed remotely from North Korea.

29 Laptop Farms Raided in 16 States
U.S. law enforcement raided 29 suspected laptop farms across 16 states. According to the charges, one of these farms was operated by Wang Zhengxing, a U.S. citizen who set up shell companies to collect the salaries of fake employees. These funds were then transferred to accounts controlled by North Korea. Wang has been arrested and is facing five separate charges. Another U.S. citizen, Kejia Wang, remains at large.

$696,000 in Payments
The Justice Department reported that Wang and four unnamed associates received over $696,000 in payments. U.S. authorities believe that North Korea has established a vast fraud network to infiltrate U.S. companies and funnel millions of dollars into its weapons and missile programs.