North Korea dispatches IT workers to raise funds for nuclear program, U.S. says

FILE PHOTO - A North Korean flag flies on a mast at the Permanent Mission of North Korea in Geneva October 2, 2014. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Picture

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea is seeking to raise revenue for it nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs by dispatching IT workers who look for employment around the globe while posed as non-North Korean nationals, the United States said on Monday.

In an advisory issued by the State and Treasury departments and the FBI, the United States said the effort was intended to circumvent U.S. and United Nations sanctions, and it warned of potential reputational and legal risks for companies that hire those workers.