U.S. Shuts Down Over 40 Laptop Farms, Charges 14 in North Korean IT Worker Fraud

The FBI and DoJ charged 14 U.S. citizens and Chinese nationals for facilitating a North Korean IT worker fraud scheme. Authorities raided over 40 Texas homes, seizing approximately 187 computers used in laptop farms. These facilitators helped North Korean workers secure remote jobs using false identities, generating millions for Pyongyang. The conspiracy affected more than 70 U.S. companies, leading to charges of wire fraud conspiracy as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt these fraudulent operations.