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FBI Asks North Texas Employers to Report North Korean Remote-Work Fraud
The FBI's Dallas Field Office is urging North Texas businesses to come forward if they unknowingly hired North Korean IT workers who used fake identities and U.S. laptop farms to funnel wages to Pyongyang's weapons programs. The appeal follows a September operation that seized 187 devices at 40 Texas locations.
DALLAS â Federal investigators are asking North Texas employers to check whether they have been unwitting hosts to a sophisticated remote-work fraud that U.S. officials say helps bankroll North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The FBI's Dallas Field Office said Tuesday it is trying to identify businesses that may have hired North Korean information-technology workers who used stolen or fabricated identities to land jobs at American companies. The workers' salaries, authorities say, are routed back to the North Korean government.
Under the scheme, North Korean operatives obtain company-issued laptops and then rely on U.S.-based facilitators to install remote-access software. That setup â often called a "laptop farm" â makes it appear as though the employee is logging in from inside the United States, when the work is actually being performed overseas.
The Treasury Department estimated that more than $800 million flowed to North Korea in fiscal year 2024 through such arrangements and other illicit revenue streams. North Texas has become a particular hot spot, according to the FBI, because of the region's large employment base and concentration of technology and defense contractors.
The appeal follows a September enforcement action dubbed "Operation Lone Star Roundup," in which federal authorities raided 40 residences across Texas and recovered 187 laptops and other devices. No arrests were announced in connection with that operation.
Businesses that believe they were victimized are encouraged to file a report through the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. The bureau said affected companies may be eligible for certain victim services or restitution.
The case highlights a growing challenge for employers: remote hiring has made it easier for foreign operatives to slip through background checks, and the proceeds can ultimately support weapons programs that threaten U.S. allies in Asia. For local companies, the FBI's request is also a reminder to scrutinize contractors and remote workers who handle sensitive systems or data.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI's Dallas Field Office or submit a tip online.