Amazon has blocked more than 1,800 job applications linked to suspected North Korean operatives. Amazon chief security officer Stephen Schmidt disclosed the action publicly. He shared the information in a LinkedIn post. The applicants targeted remote IT positions across the company. They used stolen or fabricated identities to bypass hiring safeguards.
Remote Work Becomes a Gateway for State Financing
Schmidt said the applicants followed a consistent and calculated strategy. They aimed to secure jobs and collect regular salaries. They then redirected earnings to North Korea. The funds supported weapons development and government programs. Schmidt warned this activity likely spreads across the technology sector. He said US companies face particular exposure.
US and South Korean authorities have issued comparable warnings. They have tracked online scams linked to North Korean operatives. Officials said these schemes increasingly target Western employers.
Amazon Sees Surge in Fraudulent Job Applications
Amazon recorded a nearly one-third rise in suspicious applications over the past year. Schmidt said many operatives depended on partners inside the United States. These partners operated so-called laptop farms. The farms used computers physically located in the US. Operators controlled the devices remotely from abroad.
Amazon deployed artificial intelligence tools alongside human verification. Staff screened applications and checked identity indicators. The company used these methods to identify coordinated fraud attempts.
Online Identity Abuse Grows More Advanced
Schmidt said the fraud methods continue to evolve. Bad actors hijack dormant LinkedIn accounts using leaked credentials. They impersonate real software engineers to appear credible. Schmidt urged companies to report suspicious applications to authorities.
He warned employers to monitor specific red flags. These include incorrectly formatted phone numbers and mismatched education histories. Such inconsistencies often expose false identities.
Federal Investigators Expose Nationwide Laptop Farm Operations
In June, the US government uncovered 29 illegal laptop farms nationwide. North Korean IT workers operated the farms remotely. They relied on 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 an extensive laptop farm network. The operation placed workers at more than 300 US companies. Authorities said the scheme generated more than $17m in illegal gains for her and Pyongyang.
