Companies and employers are warning that North Korea is using new tricks to infiltrate cryptocurrency companies: hiring Europeans to impersonate in initial interview rounds. This issue is becoming increasingly complex and difficult to detect.
New scam tactics and suspicious signs
Experts have noticed that the tactics of North Korean IT workers have changed. They hire foreigners to help pass initial interview rounds. For example, a programmer appears to be European in the first call, but in the second interview with a live coding test, their voice has a distinct Asian accent, poor internet connection, and the camera is off. More concerning, screen recordings show them switching between tabs with Korean characters.
The increasing threat
Fraser Edwards, CEO of Cheqd, stated that his company has recorded about 5 similar infiltration attempts in the past year. North Korea stole $1.34 billion in cryptocurrency last year, accounting for 61% of the total amount stolen from crypto platforms. North Korean IT workers often use fake identities, third-party recruitment intermediaries, and exploit remote working opportunities to access company networks.
Owen Healy, director of Owen Healy Blockchain Talent, stated that the use of European candidates in the early stages of interviews is a new tactic that has recently emerged. He is concerned that this will affect the remote recruitment policies of companies and the identification of genuine candidates.
The development of AI and interview support tools like Cluely make it increasingly difficult to detect scams. Companies are being forced to strengthen verification processes and rely more on familiar networks to ensure safety. #northkorea