The US Department of Justice has charged four North Korean citizens who organized a large-scale scheme to steal cryptocurrencies worth over $900,000. According to the investigation, the perpetrators posed as American IT specialists to gain the trust of employers and access virtual assets.
This is reported by Business • Media
Fraud Scheme and International Operations
The accused include Kim Kwan Jin, Kang Tae Bok, Chong Pong Ju, and Chang Nam Il. To enhance their credibility, the criminals used forged and stolen personal information. Back in 2019, the four North Korean citizens arrived in the United Arab Emirates on North Korean passports and worked there for some time. Subsequently, two of them—Kim Kwan Jin and Chong Pong Ju—secured remote jobs with companies from the US and Serbia, while Chang Nam Il joined them under the fictitious name Peter Xiao.
After several months of working at these firms and gaining the trust of management, the criminals accessed the crypto assets. In February and March 2022, they stole $915,000 in cryptocurrencies, which they then laundered through cryptocurrency mixers. The funds were transferred to accounts controlled by individuals using forged names with Malaysian documents.
Operation Against Cybercriminals and Consequences
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US. Additionally, the Department of Justice conducted a large-scale operation across 16 states, during which the activities of 29 so-called “laptop farms” were shut down. Through these schemes, North Korean hackers created the illusion of working within the US. During the raids, police arrested 29 financial accounts and seized over 200 computers.
“North Korean hackers have infiltrated more than 100 American companies and even gained access to military information.”
The investigation revealed that cybercriminals used front companies to work in IT firms with the aim of stealing funds. Analysts from the Google Threat Intelligence Group had previously warned about the increase in such incidents in Europe, which is linked to heightened attention from American authorities to these schemes.