Suspected North Koreans steal resumes, seeking crypto jobs

The US warned that North Korean IT workers are trying to obtain freelance employment abroad while posing as non-North Korean nationals, in part to raise money for government weapons development programmes. The IT workers claim to have the kinds of skills necessary for complex work like mobile app development, building virtual currency exchanges and mobile gaming, according to the US advisory. — Reuters

North Koreans are plagiarising online resumes and pretending to be from other countries to get remote work at cryptocurrency firms to aid illicit money-raising efforts for the government, cybersecurity researchers say following a US warning on a similar scheme in May.

The fraudsters lift details they find on legitimate profiles on LinkedIn and Indeed for their resumes to get work at US cryptocurrency firms, according to security researchers at Mandiant Inc. One applicant identified by Mandiant on July 14 claimed to be an “innovative and strategic thinking professional” in the tech industry and an experienced software developer. “The world will see the great result from my hands,” the job seeker added in a cover letter.