North Korean IT workers stole Americans' identities to land remote jobs at local companies and then transferred the earnings to the North Korean regime, according to findings. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defined it as an international crime threatening national security and launched a large-scale crackdown.

On Oct. 14, local time, Japanese outlet Gigazine reported that the FBI released a video explaining how North Korean remote IT workers disguise themselves to get hired and urged companies to stay alert.

According to the FBI, North Korea is mobilising thousands of IT workers worldwide to infiltrate U.S. companies and institutions. They stole Americans' identities or produced fake IDs to pass hiring processes, and some had overseas collaborators attend interviews in their place.

After securing jobs, they remotely accessed company-issued laptops to pose as if they were working in the United States. To do so, they operated so-called “laptop farms” by installing multiple work laptops in homes in the United States.

During the process, they accessed internal corporate networks and sensitive information, and the funds obtained through wages were sent to North Korea. The FBI said the proceeds were used for North Korea's military programmes, including nuclear weapons and missile development.

The U.S. Justice Department on Oct. 13 announced the results of the “Lone Star Roundup” operation carried out in Texas. The FBI searched about 40 homes from Sept. 21 to 25 and seized 187 items including laptops and remote-control equipment.

In a linked probe announced the same day, 14 people were indicted and 2 Americans were arrested. The criminal organisation involved is accused of harming more than 70 U.S. companies from 2019 to 2025 and earning about $3 million (4.02 billion won).

In April, 2 New Jersey men who helped North Korean IT workers obtain jobs under false pretences were each sentenced to 9 years and 7 years 8 months in prison.

The FBI recommended that companies thoroughly verify identities during hiring and check for abnormal remote access to work equipment. It also urged job seekers to be wary of fraudulent job postings that ask for interview stand-ins or to store laptops.