Amazon blocks 1,800 North Koreans from applying for remote IT jobs
Amazon blocks 1,800 North Koreans from applying for remote IT jobs
Amazon says North Korean applicants surged for remote IT roles, blocking over 1,800 amid security concerns and alleged laptop-farm schemes.
Amazon said it has blocked more than 1,800 North Koreans from joining the company, as Pyongyang sends workers overseas to earn and launder funds. In a LinkedIn post, Amazon’s Chief Security Officer Stephen Schmidt said North Korean applicants have been trying to secure remote IT jobs with companies worldwide, especially in the United States. He noted a nearly one-third rise in such applications over the past year and described ‘laptop farms’—systems in the United States operated remotely from abroad.
The signs of NK activity include wrongly formatted phone numbers and questionable academic credentials, Schmidt added, warning that the problem isn’t unique to Amazon and is likely happening at scale across the tech industry.
In a related case from July, an Arizona woman was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for running a laptop farm that helped North Korean IT workers secure remote roles at more than 300 U.S. companies, generating more than $17 million in revenue, officials said.
Seoul’s intelligence agency warned last year that North Korean operatives had used LinkedIn to pose as recruiters and approach staff at defense firms to obtain information on their technologies. The situation highlights broader security concerns around remote work and the scrutiny tech giants face over recruitment practices and national security implications.
