North Korean fake remote worker scam lands two Americans 18-month prison sentences for hosting laptops — US firms unknowingly shipped laptops to “employees” who secretly worked from overseas via remote desktop, generating $1.2 million for Pyongyang

Two American citizens have been sentenced to 18 months in prison for their involvement in a North Korean fake remote worker scam. Matthew Isaac Knoot from Nashville, Tennessee, and Erick Ntekereze Prince from New York received and hosted laptops shipped by U.S. companies, which were believed to be for legitimate IT workers. The scammers, posing as remote IT workers, generated over $1.2 million for North Korea by working from overseas through Remote Desktop Protocol applications installed on the laptops. The scheme affected nearly 70 U.S. companies, leading to the defendants' imprisonment as part of ongoing efforts to combat North Korea's illicit revenue generation.