Feds Put Up $5 Million Reward for Intel on North Koreans Infiltrating U.S. Tech Companies

The U.S. is offering $5 million in reward money to anyone who can provide information about North Koreans sneaking into American tech companies or cyber schemes. U.S. authorities are cracking down on financial networks that fund the activities of North Korea’s regime such as the “proliferation” of weapons of mass destruction.

 

State Department Rewards for Justice Program offers the reward. This program was created in 1984 and has paid out over $250 million to tippers.

 

The State Department said in a statement on Thursday:

 

Rewards for Justice (RFJ), administered by the Diplomatic Security Service, offers a reward of at least $5 million for information that leads to the disruption of financial mechanisms of those involved in certain activities that support the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. This includes money laundering as well as the exportation of workers from North Korea. This includes cyber activities that aid the DPRK’s proliferation of weapons.

 

 

On Wednesday, the Department of Justice indicted fourteen North Koreans over their involvement in an identity theft extortion ring.

 

As we explained in an earlier report:

 

The Justice Department announced in a press release that the conspiracy took place between 2017 and 2023. The conspiracy involved identity theft, wire fraud, money laundering, and extortion.

 

The defendants were employees of North Korea-controlled companies Yanbian Silverstar in China (and Volasys Silverstar in Russia), based respectively in China and Russia. More than 130 IT workers worked for the companies who, over a period of six years, generated revenue of $88 million for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

 

Lisa Monaco (Deputy Attorney General) explained that North Korean IT workers are being instructed to steal sensitive information from U.S. companies and then send the money to DPRK.

 

 

She stated that the indictment revealed “their alleged sanctions evasion”, and served as a warning to businesses all over the world.

 

The defendants were accused of obtaining sensitive information and using it to extort money.

 

The defendants may face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

 

The United States has a strategy to combat the North Korean financial network that undermines US sanctions. As part of this strategy, millions of dollars in illegal funds have been frozen and several websites connected with the crimes closed.

 

To ensure privacy, you can send anonymous tips through the RFJ website or a Tor reporting channel.