Pyongyang’s latest cybercriminal scheme attempts to recruit accomplices with the right credentials.
By Jaewoo Park for RFA
Cybersecurity engineer Toufik Airane was approached by a North Korean hacker who offered him a small fortune in exchange for use his of his identity—and he has the screenshots to prove it.
Airane revealed to RFA Korean’s Jaewoo Park that after interacting with mysterious figures online, he found himself in a videocall with an East Asian man going by the name “Benjamin,” who promised him big bucks.
The deal? “Benjamin,” would pose as Airane in remote job interviews and once hired, the two would split the job’s salary.
Screenshots of “Benjamin’s” face taken by Airane closely match those of a man identified as a North Korean hacker by California-based security firm DTEX.
North Korean hackers are increasingly using the identity borrowing tactic as a way to avoid detection as they engage in illicit activities to earn money for their cash-strapped government.
While lending an identity might seem like easy money, those who go along with such a scheme should be aware that they could be charged as accomplices to cybercrime.
Edited by Eugene Whong.
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