Amazon Blocks 1,800 Job Applications from Suspected North Korean Agents
A top Amazon executive has revealed that the tech giant has blocked over 1,800 job applications from individuals believed to be North Korean agents. The chief security officer of Amazon, Stephen Schmidt, highlighted this alarming trend on LinkedIn.
Objectives Behind the Applications
– North Koreans attempted to apply for remote IT jobs using stolen or fake identities.
– The primary objective? To gain employment, receive a paycheck, and send funds back to support the regime’s weapons programs.
– Schmidt noted that this effort is likely occurring on a larger scale across the technology industry in the U.S.
Increasing Threat from North Korean Operatives
– Authorities in both the U.S. and South Korea have raised concerns about North Korean operatives conducting online scams.
– Amazon has observed nearly a one-third increase in job applications from North Korean individuals over the past year.
– These operatives often collaborate with individuals managing laptop farms. This term refers to groups of computers located in the U.S. that are controlled remotely from outside the country.
Advanced Screening Methods
– To combat this threat, Amazon has employed a combination of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and staff verification to screen job applications effectively.
– Schmidt pointed out that tactics used by these fraudsters have become increasingly sophisticated.
– Some are hijacking dormant LinkedIn accounts using leaked credentials for verification, making their applications appear credible by targeting legitimate software engineers.
Warning Signs of Fraudulent Applications
Employers are urged to be vigilant and watch for common indicators of fraudulent applications, including:
– Incorrectly formatted phone numbers.
– Mismatched educational histories.
In June, U.S. authorities uncovered 29 laptop farms operated illegally across the country by North Korean IT workers. These workers employed stolen or forged identities to secure jobs within the U.S., as reported by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Legal Actions Against Facilitators
The DOJ also indicted brokers who assisted these North Korean operatives in securing employment. In a notable case from July, a woman in Arizona was sentenced to over eight years in prison for running a laptop farm that helped North Korean IT workers land remote jobs at more than 300 U.S. companies. This illicit scheme reportedly generated over $17 million (£12.6 million) in profits for both her and the North Korean regime.
In conclusion, as Amazon and other companies contend with these emerging threats, vigilance and robust screening processes are critical to safeguarding against fraudulent applications from suspected North Korean agents.