Unsuspecting Americans on LinkedIn Help North Korea Spies Infiltrate Companies via Remote Jobs

Breitbart ^ | 05/28/2025 | Lucas Nolan

[DFG]

A former waitress in Minnesota became entangled in an elaborate scam that funneled millions of dollars to North Korea through a network of remote workers using stolen U.S. identities. The scheme also enabled North Korean spies to snoop on Zoom meetings and download sensitive materials from the companies that hired them.

The Wall Street Journal reports that federal prosecutors have uncovered an intricate scam orchestrated by North Korea, involving the infiltration of the U.S. remote jobs market. The scheme, which has netted an estimated $17.1 million from over 300 American companies, relied on the unwitting participation of everyday Americans like Christina Chapman, a 50-year-old former waitress and massage therapist from Minnesota.

Chapman’s involvement began in March 2020 when she received a LinkedIn message asking her to “be the U.S. face” for a company that secured jobs for overseas IT workers. Unbeknownst to her, the workers were North Koreans using stolen U.S. identities. Chapman’s role was to provide an American cover, accepting deliveries of company laptops, setting up online connections, and facilitating paychecks. She operated a “laptop farm” from her home in Arizona, at one point housing over 90 computers used by the North Korean workers.

The FBI estimates that this scam involves thousands of North Korean workers and brings in hundreds of millions of dollars annually for the cash-strapped country. The workers, typically technology specialists trained in North Korea, seek employment with Western companies while hiding their true identities and locations. They often enlist the help of U.S. citizens to pass “liveness checks” and create legitimate accounts on freelance platforms.

[Tell It Right]

Unbeknownst to her, the workers were North Koreans using stolen U.S. identities. Chapman’s role was to provide an American cover, accepting deliveries of company laptops, setting up online connections, and facilitating paychecks. She operated a “laptop farm” from her home in Arizona, at one point housing over 90 computers used by the North Korean workers.

I'm having trouble how this can be "unbeknownst to her" when she's the one "accepting deliveries of company laptops" and she's the one who "operated a 'laptop farm' from her home". That's enough of her involvement for her to know it was for fake Americans overseas.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

This has been going on for years. A company conducts a phone interview for a consultant, then someone else entirely shows up to work and they don’t know shit.

Big defense contractors are preyed on.

[quilterdebbie]

Pure stupidity on her part!

[Resolute Conservative]

Unbeknownst my rear. She is a traitor and criminal fraud. Besides, what does a waitress/massage therapist have to do with IT jobs? Is that in itself not a red flag.

[reed13k]

I keep having multiple people saying they want me to consult for a company interested in investing in a medical device company.

They insist I have to communicate using WhatsApp, which I politely refuse and then they ghost me when I recommend 4-5 other methods.

WhatsApp has had security issues previously so I’m very reluctant to use it and when people refuse to use anything else it makes me even more critical of it.

[JZelle]

I’d bet she’d fall for the “banana in the tailpipe” trick.

[GingisK]

Doesn’t that hurt, and leave scars?

[JZelle]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dIVc-cH_3j0

[quilterdebbie]

Truth!