WASHINGTON, United States: Eleven countries warned on July 31 that North Korean IT workers were using false identities and AI to obtain remote jobs and raise money for Pyongyang’s weapons programs.
The United States issued the alert with South Korea, Japan, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
The countries said workers impersonated foreign nationals on employment and contracting platforms. They allegedly transferred earnings to parent agencies in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, in East Asia.
The participating governments also linked the workers to data exfiltration, cryptocurrency theft and the theft of sensitive corporate information, according to the joint alert published by Global Affairs Canada.
The alert said workers were increasingly using AI to conceal their identities and create convincing profiles and communications. Some allegedly used manipulated video, forged identification documents or third-party proxies during interviews.
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Workers based in North Korea, China, Russia and other regions also used virtual private networks and remote-access software to conceal their locations.
Overseas facilitators sometimes operated “laptop farms” containing employer-provided computers, according to the FBI-hosted advisory.
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The governments urged employment platforms and businesses to scrutinise identification documents, conduct in-person or live interviews and monitor suspicious accounts.
Red flags included mismatched payment details, multiple accounts using a single document, and requests for cryptocurrency payments.
The alert cited United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397, which requires countries to repatriate North Korean nationals earning income within their jurisdictions, subject to limited exceptions.
It also warned that hiring or paying the workers could violate domestic laws. The Financial Action Task Force continued to classify North Korea as a high-risk jurisdiction subject to countermeasures.
