DOJ says US citizens helped North Korean IT workers infiltrate 136 companies
The Block
The DOJ announced seizures of stolen crypto and guilty pleas from five individuals aiding North Korean IT worker schemes.Summary
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking to forfeit over $15.1 million in USDT stolen by North Korean hackers linked to APT38, funds traced from 2023 heists potentially including the Poloniex and CoinsPaid hacks. Separately, the DOJ secured guilty pleas from four U.S. citizens and one Ukrainian national who admitted to facilitating North Korean IT workers' fraudulent employment at over 136 U.S. companies. These individuals provided stolen identities and hosted company laptops to mask the workers' true locations. The scheme generated over $2.2 million for the North Korean regime, highlighting Pyongyang's reliance on remote IT worker scams and crypto theft for revenue.
(Source：The Block)