U.S. and international employers should be aware of efforts by North Korean IT workers to misrepresent themselves and gain employment, according to a joint advisory issued by the State and Treasury departments and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The advisory states the tech workers’ earnings are used to help fund North Korea’s weapons program.
The advisory was issued to “alert the international community, the private sector, and the public to attempts by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and DPRK information technology (IT) workers to obtain employment while posing as non-DPRK nationals,” according to a statement released on the Department of Treasury’s website in mid-May 2022. “The advisory provides detailed information on how DPRK IT workers operate and identifies red flags to help companies avoid hiring DPRK freelance developers and to help freelance and digital payment platforms identify DPRK IT workers abusing their services. A Fact Sheet, ‘Guidance on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Information Technology Workers’ has also been published.”
While this may seem alarming, employers can act by taking steps that are recommended when hiring any employee:
- Closely scrutinize identity verification documents for forgery.
- Conduct an in-person or a video interview to verify a potential worker’s identity.
- Conduct a pre-employment background check to verify identity and claimed location.
Other steps were identified in the advisory to deal with this particular concern, and would be wise to implement, especially if hiring IT workers remotely:
- Verify documents submitted as part of proposal reviews or job applications directly with the listed companies and educational institutions (not utilizing the contact information provided on the submitted documentation).
- Avoid payments in cryptocurrency and require verification of banking information corresponding to other identifying documents.
- Check that the name spelling, nationality, claimed location, contact information, educational history, work history, and other details of a potential hire are consistent across the developer’s freelance platform profiles, social media profiles, external portfolio websites, payment platform accounts, and assessed location and hours of work.
- Be suspicious if a developer cannot receive items at the address on their identification documentation.
If you have questions about hiring, Employers Council has online resources and other assistance. Reach out to the Member Experience team with questions.