North Korea Using Fake Resumes on LinkedIn to Steal Crypto: Report

North Korean government officials in Pyongyang are suspected of plagiarizing resumes and pretending to be from other countries in an effort to raise funds for the government, according to Bloomberg News. The thieves are reportedly using profiles on LinkedIn and Indeed with false resume information to try and get hired at U.S. crypto firms.

North Koreans Using Fake Resumes to Apply for Crypto Jobs

Bloomberg News reports that individuals working in the North Korean government in Pyongyang are applying for crypto-related jobs on LinkedIn and Indeed using plagiarized resumes and fake information. The moves come as a part of a broader plan to raise funds for the North Korean government, according to interviews Bloomberg held with cybersecurity professionals.

Security experts at Mandiant said the fraudsters are adding resume information from legitimate crypto and blockchain professionals into their own portfolios and plundering job listings at online employment websites. One of the suspected individuals claimed in his resume to be an “innovative and strategic thinking professional” in the tech industry.

Stealing information from other crypto companies can allow North Korean officials to learn more about current crypto trends, explained Mandiant analyst Joe Dobson. By doing this, the North Korean government can understand how to launder digital currencies while allowing Pyongyang to avoid sanctions, he added.

“It comes down to insider threats,” Dobson said. “If someone gets hired onto a crypto project, and they become a core developer, that allows them to influence things, whether for good or not.”

Moreover, some of the suspected individuals have used false job qualifications, while others claimed they have published a white paper regarding the Bibox crypto exchange. According to Mandiant experts, multiple suspected North Korean individuals were successfully hired as freelance crypto employees.

“These are North Koreans trying to get hired and get to a place where they can funnel money back to the regime,” said Michael Barnhart, a principal analyst at Mandiant.

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More Crypto Hacks Linked to North Korea

The Pyongyang theft is the latest in a series of crypto-related frauds linked to North Korea. Earlier this year, a report by Chainalysis showed that North Korean hackers stole $400 million worth of digital assets in 2021.

In addition, recent U.S. government records showed that a notorious North Korea-backed group was behind the Ronin network hack in March, where over $600 million worth of crypto was stolen. It is believed that the organization behind the attack was The Lazarus group led by North Korea’s primary intelligence agency.

The latest events suggest that crypto remains a sector vulnerable to hacks and other types of fraud. Last week, Solana-based protocol Nirvana Finance sustained a flash loan attack in which the hacker stole $3.5 million.

What do you think about the recent crypto hacks? Let us know in the comments below.