Proiti Seal Acharya
3 min read
Kim Jong Un‘s North Korea is secretly infiltrating American businesses via remote jobs, with the help of unwitting U.S. citizens. Christina Chapman, a Minnesota woman whose home functioned as a hub for foreign operatives posing as American IT workers, helped funnel millions into North Korea’s economy while jeopardizing U.S. data security.
What Happened: Christina Chapman, a 50-year-old former waitress turned TikTok personality, established what authorities call a "laptop farm" in her home, according to The Wall Street Journal.
She had several laptops connected to remote access software, allowing North Korean workers overseas to pose as U.S.-based tech employees. They secured jobs at more than 300 American companies, collecting $17.1 million in pay.
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Many companies, unaware of the scam, sent paychecks and devices to Chapman's address. She handled paperwork, assisted with job applications, and forwarded pay after taking a cut. Authorities say she shipped almost 50 devices abroad and helped create false tax records for more than 35 people.
Why It Matters: With international sanctions affecting funding sources, North Koreans are turning to unconventional methods. As per blockchain firm Chainalysis, North Korean hackers have stolen $6 billion in cryptocurrency. Laptop farming is the latest tactic enabling the regime to manipulate the gig economy and draw salaries from unsuspecting businesses. "That's a material percentage of their economy," observed Gregory Austin, a section chief at the FBI.
Adam Meyers, a senior vice president at cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, said this is becoming a significant issue for employers who depend on remote workforces. CrowdStrike has identified almost 150 cases of North Korean workers invading customer systems, and farms have been located in at least eight U.S. states.
"These DPRK IT workers are absolutely able to hold down jobs that pay in the low six figures in U.S. companies and sometimes they can hold multiple of these jobs," Austin added.
Chapman was contacted on LinkedIn with an offer to "be the U.S. face" of a firm that managed overseas IT talent. As per court records, there is no indication that she was aware of the North Korean connection.
