Title: North Korean Cyber Criminals Infiltrate 300+ US Companies: IT Fraud Scheme Disrupted
Date: May 16, 2024
Contact: FBI Press Office press@fbi.gov
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have announced the disruption of an extensive international cyber fraud scheme orchestrated by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), involving over 300 American corporations and IT workers infiltrating their systems.
Indictment and Arrests
The FBI and DOJ filed an indictment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against an Arizona woman, a Ukrainian man, and three unidentified foreign nationals. The charges include:
- Use of stolen or borrowed U.S. identities to create false employment profiles for overseas IT workers.
- Concealing their true nationality in the recruitment process.
Two defendants, Christina Marie Chapman from Arizona and Oleksandr Didenko from Ukraine, have been arrested.
Scheme Overview
According to the indictment and court documents:
- North Korean IT Workers: The DPRK has mobilized thousands of skilled IT workers worldwide to defraud US companies.
- U.S. Financial Systems: The schemes utilized US payment platforms, online job sites, and unwitting and witting US individuals.
- Impact: This is the largest cyber fraud scheme ever charged by the DOJ. It affected numerous U.S. companies and generated significant revenue for the North Korean government.
Investigation and Seizure Warrants
- Two separate criminal prosecutions were unsealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, in partnership with the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.
- Premises searches and seizure warrants were executed in Washington D.C. and other jurisdictions.
- The DOJ will seek forfeiture of any illicitly obtained wages and website domains.
Remarks
- U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves: Commitment to bringing individuals to justice for using US financial systems to raise revenue for North Korea.
- Assistant Attorney General M. Kenneth Palmer: Allegations demonstrate the sophisticated nature of the threat posed by the North Korean regime and its proxies.
- FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll: Cybersecurity is national security and the FBI remains committed to countering financial exploitation and misuse of US identities.
Defendants
- Christina Marie Chapman: An American citizen from Arizona, alleged for assisting overseas IT workers in posing as US citizens. She defrauded several Fortune 500 companies.
- Oleksandr Didenko: A Ukrainian national, charged with creating and selling fake employment accounts to unidentified overseas IT workers through U.S. IT job search platforms and money service transmitters.