Two Americans sentenced for helping North Korea steal $5 million in fake IT worker scheme
TechCrunch·2h ago·Anger
What Happened
Two New Jersey residents, Kejia Wang and Zhenxing Wang, received prison sentences of seven and nine years for helping North Korea place fake remote IT workers in American companies. The scheme generated $5 million for North Korea between 2021 and 2024. Co-conspirators stole identities of over 80 Americans and obtained positions at more than 100 U.S. corporations, including Fortune 500 companies. The operation involved "laptop farms" allowing North Koreans to appear as U.S.-based workers. The facilitators received approximately $700,000 collectively. In some cases, fake workers stole trade secrets and source code.
Key Entities
Kejia WangZhenxing WangNorth KoreaU.S. Department of JusticeNew JerseyLaptop farmsFortune 500 companies