Treasury Department sanctions North Korean IT worker schemes for facilitating fraud on US businesses

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced Wednesday that it is imposing new sanctions on 10 North Korean individuals for their roles in information technology worker schemes that defraud U.S. businesses. 

The department said profits from the schemes go to North Korea's unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. 

The North Korean government uses fraudulent documents, stolen identities and fake personas to conceal its IT workers and secure employment with real companies. It then uses most of the wages from the workers to fund its programs. 

“The North Korean regime continues targeting and exploiting American companies through fraudulent activities conducted by its overseas IT operatives, who weaponize sensitive data and extort businesses for substantial payments,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “Under President Trump’s leadership, Treasury will continue to use all available tools to protect U.S. businesses from these malicious activities and hold those responsible accountable.”

The department said the new actions target key facilitators and financial networks that help sustain the schemes and move illegal proceeds on behalf of the North Korean government. 

The fraudulent workers also leveraged sophisticated cryptocurrency transactions, money laundering techniques and emerging technologies to transfer millions of dollars to the foreign government.

The actions expand on the Treasury Department's previous designation of a separate North Korean IT worker network, which allegedly generated nearly $800 million for North Korea in 2024.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.