Home / Business and Economy / Amazon Blocks 1,800 North Koreans in IT Job Scam
Amazon Blocks 1,800 North Koreans in IT Job Scam
23 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Amazon blocked over 1,800 North Koreans attempting remote IT job roles.
- North Korean workers used 'laptop farms' to secure jobs globally.
- A US woman received over eight years for aiding North Korean workers.
US tech giant Amazon revealed it blocked more than 1,800 North Koreans from securing remote IT positions. This action comes as North Korea actively dispatches IT workers globally to generate and launder funds for its regime. These individuals often employ "laptop farms," a method involving remotely controlled computers located in the United States.
The problem extends beyond Amazon, with concerns that this practice is happening at a significant scale across the technology industry. Signs of North Korean workers include unusual phone number formats and questionable academic qualifications. Previously, in July, a woman in Arizona was sentenced to over eight years for managing a laptop farm that helped North Koreans obtain roles at numerous US companies.
This elaborate scheme generated over $17 million in revenue for both the facilitator and North Korea. The country's cyber-warfare program, dating back to the mid-1990s, has evolved into a substantial unit known as Bureau 121, operating internationally to fund its nuclear weapons program through illicit financial operations, including the theft of billions in cryptocurrency.
