Federal Prosecutors Charge 10 China-Based Fraudsters Over Scheme Targeting US Companies

Federal prosecutors have charged 10 people based in China in an alleged North Korean fraud scheme that secured remote technology jobs at more than 70 American companies using stolen identities and concealed overseas connections.

The Justice Department announced the indictment against the 14 defendants on Tuesday, and it was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. It describes a network spanning North Korea, China, and the United States, with North Korean IT workers posing as Americans while accomplices helped them pass hiring checks, access corporate computers, and transfer their earnings abroad.

The alleged operation affected businesses in health care, communications, technology support, retail, and manufacturing across Ohio, 16 other states, and Washington.