Report: NKorea Scammers Trying to Land US Jobs

North Korean IT workers are setting up companies in China with the goal of tricking Western companies into hiring them, Axios reported.

Fortune 500 companies have reported being plagued by North Korean-based IT workers trying to get jobs at their firms, Axios said, but few go public due to fear of retaliation and embarrassment.

North Korean IT workers attempt to scam U.S. companies into hiring them but with the goal of using the salaries to fund the country's missile program, according to Axios. Cybersecurity vendors have been trying to raise awareness about the problem, Axios said.

A new report from Strider Technologies said it identified 35 Chinese companies linked to North Korean IT worker operations, with the companies affiliated with Liaoning China Trade Industry, a company sanctioned by the U.S. that has shipped IT equipment to the North Korean government, Axios reported.

Three of the companies include Dandong Deyun Trading Co., a textiles and electronics wholesaler and retailer and Yongping Zhouren Mining Co., a company that wholesales mineral products, according to Axios, citing the Strider report.

The FBI sent out an alert about the issue this year, and Google has admitted that North Korean IT workers have applied for jobs, Axios said.

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