North Korean agents are remotely installing themselves in American companies to steal money, – Politico

Nearly 100 American companies unknowingly hired workers linked to the North Korean regime.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the seizure of hundreds of financial accounts, fraudulent websites and laptops linked to a massive scheme by North Korean agents who posed as remote workers to infiltrate American technology companies and funnel money to Pyongyang’s weapons program, Politico reports .

The Justice Department’s decision follows recent findings by cybersecurity experts that some of the 500 largest U.S. companies by revenue were affected by a conspiracy involving North Korean agents who used stolen identities and sophisticated artificial intelligence tools to bypass the interview and hiring process.

The US Department of Justice said that about 100 American companies unknowingly hired workers affiliated with the North Korean regime. The activities of North Korean agents included the theft of US intellectual property and virtual currency.

One of the companies affected by North Korea’s activities was an unnamed defense contractor in California, which had some of its technical data and files compromised and sent overseas.

“Any government contractor that uses remote work could be a potential victim in the future,” an FBI official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told reporters.

The publication added that North Korean agents are often helped by people who run so-called “laptop farms” across the United States. The US Department of Justice raided 29 such locations in 16 states, and the FBI seized about 200 laptops, as well as dozens of financial accounts and fraudulent websites used for money laundering.

In addition, North Korean agents were assisted by individuals from the United States, China, the United Arab Emirates and Taiwan, the publication noted. They helped the agents successfully infiltrate American companies.

In particular, American citizen Zhenxing Wang was arrested and charged with participating in a multi-year conspiracy. The US Department of Justice said he was involved in the theft of personal information from about 80 US citizens.

In addition, four North Korean nationals were separately charged with stealing $900,000 in virtual currency from two unnamed companies, the newspaper added. The U.S. State Department is also offering a $5 million reward for information that can disrupt North Korea’s financial and other illicit activities.

Trump does not rule out the possibility of resuming talks with North Korea

Earlier, US President Donald Trump called North Korean leader Kim Jong-un a “smart guy.” He said he did not rule out the possibility of resuming talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

According to Trump, he has a great relationship with Kim Jong-un. He assured that it is important to communicate with the DPRK.

(C)UNIAN 2025