Amazon has blocked more than 1,800 job applications linked to suspected North Korean operatives. Amazon chief security officer Stephen Schmidt revealed the operation publicly. He shared the details in a LinkedIn post. The applicants targeted remote IT roles across the company. They used stolen or fake identities to bypass hiring safeguards.
Remote Work Exploited to Finance North Korea
Schmidt said the applicants followed a deliberate and organized strategy. They sought employment, collected salaries, and funneled wages to North Korea. The funds supported weapons development and other state programs. Schmidt warned the activity likely affects the broader 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 Surge in Suspicious Job 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 devices 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 prevent coordinated fraud.
Fraud Techniques Grow More Sophisticated
Schmidt said the methods have become increasingly advanced. 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 advised employers to monitor warning signs. These include incorrectly formatted phone numbers and mismatched 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 more than $17m in illegal gains for her and Pyongyang.
