Over 1,800 North Korean applicants flood Amazon — suspected illicit applicants blocked by the company since April 2024

Amazon has blocked over 1,800 suspected North Korean applicants from joining the company since April 2024, with a 27% quarterly increase in attempts this year. The tech giant uses AI to screen profiles for anomalies and verifies them through background checks and interviews. North Korea's skilled IT workforce is being exploited by the regime to gain funding through remote work scams, including using stolen identities and targeting dormant LinkedIn accounts. Companies are advised to verify applicant details to protect against such scams, which are not limited to tech companies but also target industries like finance and healthcare.