With more than 90 laptops, one woman helped North Korea infiltrate U.S. jobs — $17 Million Paid Out.

With more than 90 laptops, one woman helped North Korea infiltrate U.S. jobs — $17 Million Paid Out.

In the USA.

The news as it trends.

In a shocking twist of cyber fraud, Christina Marie Chapman from Litchfield Park, Arizona, was sentenced to over 8 years in prison for facilitating a covert operation that benefited North Korea’s regime.

Chapman used stolen identities of real Americans to help North Korean IT workers pose as U.S.-based remote employees.

Over 300 American companies, including government agencies, unknowingly hired these operatives.

She opened legitimate-looking U.S. bank accounts to receive payroll deposits, backed by fake paperwork that made the entire fraud appear routine.

The North Korean IT workers used VPNs and forged profiles to infiltrate hiring systems, and their salaries — totaling over $17 million — were funneled back to North Korea, likely supporting its nuclear weapons program.

Christina Marie Chapman was eventually caught and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.

She was sentenced to 102 months (over 8 years) in federal prison, ordered to pay restitution, and will also serve three years of supervised release following her sentence.

According to legal analysts, this case is a wake-up call for companies to verify virtual employee identities and tighten cybersecurity protocols.

Yetunde B reports for Yeyetunde’s Blog.