Ethical Hacking News
Five individuals have pleaded guilty to aiding North Korea in generating revenue through complex IT worker schemes that violated international sanctions, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The scheme, which ran from 2019 to 2022, earned over $1.28 million in salaries and involved multiple U.S. companies and thousands of dollars in stolen identities. The guilty pleas are part of a larger effort by U.S. authorities to disrupt North Korea's illicit financial operations.
The U.S. Department of Justice announced five individuals have pleaded guilty to aiding North Korea's illicit revenue generation through complex IT worker schemes. The scheme, which ran from 2019 to 2022, earned $1.28 million in salaries and involved the fraudulent use of U.S. jobs by overseas IT workers. Five individuals were involved in the scheme: Audricus Phagnasay, Jason Salazar, Alexander Paul Travis, Oleksandr Didenko, and Erick Ntekereze Prince. The scheme was part of a larger effort to disrupt North Korean-funded fraud schemes that have been used to fund the regime's weapons programs. Over $15 million in cryptocurrency was seized by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of an investigation into North Korean APT38 actors' crypto heists.
In a shocking revelation, five individuals have pleaded guilty to aiding North Korea's illicit revenue generation through complex IT worker schemes that violated international sanctions. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the guilty pleas, which are part of a larger effort to disrupt North Korean-funded fraud schemes that have been used to fund the regime's weapons programs.
The five individuals involved in the scheme were Audricus Phagnasay, Jason Salazar, Alexander Paul Travis, Oleksandr Didenko, and Erick Ntekereze Prince. Phagnasay, Salazar, and Travis are U.S. nationals who pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for helping overseas IT workers fraudulently get U.S. jobs. They provided identities, hosted company laptops, installed remote access software, and even attended drug tests for the workers. The scheme ran from 2019 to 2022, earning $1.28 million in salaries, mostly sent overseas.
Travis received $51,000, while Phagnasay and Salazar earned $3.4K-$4.5K. The FBI and U.S. prosecutors handled the case. Didenko, a Ukrainian national, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and identity theft for stealing U.S. citizens' identities and selling them to overseas IT workers, including North Koreans, to fraudulently work for 40 U.S. companies. Victims paid hundreds of thousands of dollars. Didenko agreed to forfeit over $1.4 million, including cash and crypto.
Prince, also a U.S. national, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy for helping overseas IT workers, including North Koreans, fraudulently work for U.S. companies via false identities. Through his company, he hosted company laptops in Florida and installed remote access software to make it appear the workers were local. He earned over $89,000. The scheme involved 64 U.S. companies and generated over $943,000 in salaries sent mostly overseas.
The U.S. Department of Justice also filed civil complaints to forfeit over $15 million in USDT seized from North Korean APT38 actors. The funds stem from four major 2023 crypto heists targeting exchanges in Estonia, Panama, and Seychelles. The FBI is investigating, tracing, and seizing stolen cryptocurrency still being laundered.
North Korean IT workers earn hundreds of thousands annually to fund DPRK weapons programs. U.S. agencies have issued advisories and may offer up to $5 million in rewards to disrupt these illicit financial operations. The Department of Justice's actions demonstrate a comprehensive approach to disrupting North Korea's efforts to finance their weapons program on the backs of Americans.
"The Department will use every available tool to protect our Nation from this regime's depredations," said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. "Ensuring national and economic security are paramount to the Department's mission, and we are steadfast in our determination to forfeit ill-gotten gains from bad actors and return funds to victims."
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department's Criminal Division also commented on the case, stating that hostile nation-states raising funds for illicit programs by stealing from digital asset exchanges threatens both national and economic security.
"The Criminal Division is steadfast in its determination to forfeit ill-gotten gains from bad actors and return funds to victims," he said. "We will continue to use every available tool to disrupt North Korean-funded fraud schemes and protect the American people."
The guilty pleas and civil forfeiture actions are part of a larger effort by U.S. authorities to combat North Korea's illicit financial operations. The case highlights the importance of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the need for vigilance in detecting and disrupting such schemes.
In recent years, there have been numerous reports of North Korean hackers targeting digital asset exchanges and stealing millions of dollars in virtual currency. In 2023 alone, APT38 hackers stole millions in virtual currency in a series of high-profile heists.
The U.S. Department of Justice's actions demonstrate a commitment to protecting national security and economic interests from the threats posed by North Korea's illicit financial operations. The guilty pleas and civil forfeiture actions will help disrupt these schemes and prevent further harm to American citizens and businesses.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Five-Admit-Helping-North-Korea-Evade-Sanctions-Through-IT-Worker-Schemes-ehn.shtml
https://securityaffairs.com/184712/cyber-crime/five-admit-helping-north-korea-evade-sanctions-through-it-worker-schemes.html
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-nationwide-actions-combat-illicit-north-korean-government
Published: Sun Nov 16 16:35:34 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
