Washington: U.S. federal investigators are pursuing the arrest of four North Koreans accused of participating in a scheme to steal virtual currency by pretending to be remote IT workers, as revealed on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) website on Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the men-Kim Kwang-jin, Kang Tae-bok, Jong Pong-ju, and Chang Nam-il-are accused of stealing over $900,000 in virtual currency from two companies and laundering the stolen funds in 2022. The FBI notice details that the individuals used fake names and identification documents to secure employment as remote IT workers, exploiting their positions to execute the thefts.
Federal arrest warrants for the four men were issued on June 24, following charges of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. The suspects, aged between 25 and 29, are bilingual in English and Korean and have connections to the United Arab Emirates and Laos.
Authorities have announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the disruption of financial networks supporting North Korean activities. North Korea has a history of engaging in unlawful cyber operations and cryptocurrency theft, largely attributed to the international sanctions imposed due to its nuclear and weapons development efforts.