Amazon has blocked more than 1,800 job applications linked to suspected North Korean operatives. Amazon chief security officer Stephen Schmidt revealed the action publicly. He shared the details in a LinkedIn post. The applicants targeted remote IT roles across the company. They relied on stolen or fake identities to bypass hiring safeguards.
Remote Jobs Exploited to Fund North Korea
Schmidt said the applicants followed a clear and deliberate strategy. They sought employment, collected salaries, and funneled wages back to North Korea. The funds supported weapons development and state programs. Schmidt warned the activity likely spreads across the technology sector. He said US companies remain the primary targets.
US and South Korean authorities have issued repeated warnings. They tracked online scams linked to North Korean operatives. Officials said these schemes increasingly target Western employers.
Amazon Sees Steep Increase in Suspicious Applications
Amazon recorded a nearly one-third rise in suspicious applications over the past year. Schmidt said many operatives relied on partners inside the United States. These partners ran so-called laptop farms. The farms used computers physically located in the US. Operators controlled the systems remotely from abroad.
Amazon deployed artificial intelligence tools alongside staff verification. Employees screened applications and checked identity markers. The company relied on these measures to detect coordinated fraud.
Fraud Tactics Continue to Evolve
Schmidt said the techniques have grown more advanced. Bad actors hijack dormant LinkedIn accounts using leaked credentials. They impersonate real software engineers to appear legitimate. Schmidt urged companies to report suspicious applications to authorities.
He advised employers to monitor warning signs. These include incorrectly formatted phone numbers and inconsistent education histories. Such inconsistencies often reveal fraudulent identities.
US Authorities Crack Down on Laptop Farm Operations
In June, the US government uncovered 29 illegal laptop farms nationwide. North Korean IT workers operated the farms remotely. They used stolen or forged American identities. The Department of Justice said the scheme helped secure jobs at US companies.
Prosecutors also charged US brokers who assisted the operation. In July, a woman from Arizona received a prison sentence exceeding eight years. She ran a large laptop farm network. The operation placed workers at more than 300 US companies. Authorities said the scheme generated over $17m in illegal gains for her and Pyongyang.
