North Korean Job Scammers Are Stealing Your Identity: What Every Job Seeker Needs to Know

You submit your resume online, hoping to land that perfect remote job. What you don’t realize is that thousands of miles away, a North Korean operative might be copying your identity, perfecting an AI-generated version of your face, and using your stolen credentials to infiltrate American companies.

This isn’t science fiction. It’s happening right now.

As PBS NewsHour recently revealed, North Korean IT workers are conducting a massive identity theft operation that targets job seekers like you. The Department of Justice just announced coordinated nationwide actions against this scheme, which has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for North Korea’s weapons program.

But here’s what most coverage misses: you’re not just a potential employer who might accidentally hire one of these operatives. You’re also a potential victim whose identity could be stolen and weaponized.

The Invisible Threat Lurking in Your Job Search

Most job seekers worry about scam job postings or fake companies trying to steal their personal information. Those threats still exist, but the North Korean operation represents something far more sophisticated and dangerous.

These operatives use stolen and fake identities to obtain remote IT positions with U.S. companies, successfully infiltrating more than 100 American businesses, including Fortune 500 companies. The U.S. Treasury, State Department, and FBI collectively estimate the IT workers scam has generated hundreds of millions each year since 2018.

Interview Guys Tip: If you’re in tech, you’re especially vulnerable. These scammers primarily target software engineer, front-end developer, and full-stack developer positions because these roles offer high salaries and remote work opportunities.

Here’s how the scam works from your perspective as a job seeker:

• Step 1: Identity Harvesting North Korean operatives scour job boards, LinkedIn profiles, and resume databases to find American IT professionals. They’re looking for people with strong technical backgrounds, security clearances, and employment histories at reputable companies.

• Step 2: Complete Identity Theft They steal an identity so they get hold of someone’s ID, their personal details, their Social Security number and make a resume up that says they know how to do this, they know how to do that, they know how to code websites, whatever it is that the jobs are requiring.

• Step 3: AI Enhancement Using sophisticated AI tools, they create deepfake videos and voice changers to impersonate you during interviews. The picture was AI “enhanced”, as one security company discovered when they unknowingly hired a North Korean operative.

• Step 4: Professional Impersonation They apply for jobs using your stolen identity, complete with fake portfolios, GitHub profiles, and LinkedIn accounts that mirror your professional background.

Why Traditional Identity Monitoring Isn’t Enough

Most identity theft protection services focus on financial fraud – alerting you when someone opens a credit card or takes out a loan in your name. But this new threat is different.

These scammers aren’t trying to steal your money directly. They’re stealing your professional identity to make money from legitimate employment.

This means traditional alerts won’t catch it. You might never know your identity is being used until:

• A company contacts you asking why you didn’t show up for work
• You’re rejected for jobs because “you” already work there
• Law enforcement contacts you during an investigation
• You discover fake professional profiles using your information

Interview Guys Tip: Set up Google Alerts for your full name combined with terms like “software engineer,” “developer,” or your specific job title. This can help you catch fake profiles or job applications using your identity.

Red Flags That Your Identity Might Be Compromised

Watch for these warning signs that suggest your professional identity may have been stolen:

LinkedIn and Professional Platform Alerts

• Notifications about login attempts from foreign countries
• Messages about profile views from locations you’ve never been
• Friend requests from people claiming to work at companies where “you” supposedly work

Employment-Related Red Flags

• Companies contacting you about positions you never applied for
• Recruiters mentioning work history or skills you don’t have
• Background check companies reaching out unexpectedly

Financial Indicators

• Unusual tax documents (like multiple W-2s from companies you’ve never worked for)
• Employment verification requests from unknown companies
• Payroll companies contacting you about direct deposit issues

How to Protect Yourself: The New Job Search Security Playbook

The rise of this threat means you need to approach job searching with a new level of security awareness. Here’s your protection strategy:

Secure Your Digital Identity

Lock Down Your Professional Profiles

• Use two-factor authentication on LinkedIn, GitHub, and other professional platforms
• Regularly review your profile privacy settings
• Monitor who’s viewing your profile and from where

Control Your Resume Distribution

• Avoid posting your resume on public job boards when possible
• Use resume services that screen employers before releasing your information
• Remove personal details like full addresses and phone numbers from public versions

Create Monitoring Systems

• Set up Google Alerts for your name and professional variations
• Monitor your LinkedIn profile views for suspicious activity
• Check if your email appears in data breaches using services like HaveIBeenPwned

Strengthen Your Job Application Security

Be Selective About Applications Instead of mass-applying to hundreds of jobs, focus on quality applications to verified companies. Research each employer thoroughly before submitting your information.

Use Unique Email Addresses Create a dedicated job search email address. This makes it easier to monitor suspicious activity and prevents cross-contamination if one account is compromised.

Watermark Your Work Samples Add subtle watermarks or identifying information to portfolios, code samples, and work examples you share with potential employers.

Advanced Protection Strategies

Document Your Real Professional History Maintain detailed records of your actual employment history, including dates, job descriptions, and contact information. This documentation will be crucial if you need to prove your identity to law enforcement or employers.

Network Security for Remote Workers If you work remotely, use a VPN and monitor your network traffic for unusual activity. North Korean operatives often use remote access tools that might appear on your network if they’re impersonating you.

Consider Professional Identity Insurance Some identity theft protection services now offer professional identity monitoring specifically designed to catch employment-related fraud.

What to Do If You Suspect Your Identity Has Been Stolen

If you discover signs that your professional identity might be compromised, act quickly:

Immediate Actions

1. Document Everything – Screenshot fake profiles, suspicious emails, or job-related contacts
2. Report to Platforms – Contact LinkedIn, GitHub, and other platforms about fake accounts
3. Alert Your Network – Inform colleagues and professional contacts about the potential fraud

Official Reporting

Report the suspicious activity to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.IC3.gov as quickly as possible. The FBI is actively investigating these cases and needs reports from victims to build their cases.

Protect Future Applications

• Add a note to job applications explaining that you’re aware of identity theft attempts
• Consider using a professional background check service to verify your own identity
• Work with recruiters who can vouch for your identity during the hiring process

The Bigger Picture: Why This Matters for Your Career

This isn’t just about identity theft – it’s about the fundamental security of the job market. When thousands of fake workers infiltrate companies, it makes employers more suspicious of all remote candidates.

Already, some companies are implementing stricter identity verification processes that can slow down the hiring process for legitimate job seekers. Understanding this threat helps you navigate these new security measures and positions you as a security-conscious candidate.

Interview Guys Tip: When applying for remote positions, proactively address security concerns. Mention your awareness of these threats and your willingness to participate in enhanced verification processes. This shows employers you’re informed and trustworthy.

Staying Ahead of an Evolving Threat

AI has emboldened the North Korean scheme, allowing the IT workers to develop scripts so they can hold down as many as six or seven jobs at a time, disguise their appearance, and even alter their voices so they don’t have an accent.

As this threat evolves, so must your protection strategies. The scammers are getting better at:

• Creating more convincing deepfakes
• Building elaborate fake professional histories
• Using AI to pass technical interviews
• Expanding beyond IT into other remote-friendly industries

This means your vigilance needs to evolve too.

The Bottom Line: Your Identity Is Your Career Asset

Your professional identity is one of your most valuable career assets. In an era where remote work is standard and AI can create convincing fakes of anyone, protecting that identity requires the same attention you’d give to protecting your savings account.

The North Korean IT worker scam might seem like someone else’s problem, but your stolen identity could be the key that unlocks their next target. By taking proactive steps to secure your professional identity, you’re not just protecting yourself – you’re helping to defend the entire job market against this sophisticated threat.

The scammers are counting on job seekers to remain unaware of this risk. Don’t give them that advantage.

---

For more job search security tips and career protection strategies, check out our related articles on LinkedIn security best practices and remote work safety.