What if a simple remote job application wasn’t about a paycheck—but about funding weapons programs?
That’s the unsettling reality a top Amazon executive says the tech world is now facing.
Amazon has blocked more than 1,800 job applications.
It believes were linked to North Korean operatives, according to the company’s chief security officer, Stephen Schmidt.
In a LinkedIn post, he explained that the goal is blunt: “Get hired, get paid, and funnel wages back to fund the regime’s weapons programs.”
Sounds extreme? US and South Korean authorities say it’s very real—and growing.
Amazon alone has seen a nearly 30% jump in suspected applications over the past year.
A longtime Élysée insider, identified as Thomas M, is set to stand trial over the alleged theft of luxury tableware.
Remote Work Risks
The items include Baccarat champagne flutes, Sèvres porcelain plates and even solid silver cutlery.
To fight back, Amazon is leaning on AI screening tools and human verification. But Schmidt warns the tactics are getting smarter.
Hijacked LinkedIn profiles, mismatched résumés, oddly formatted phone numbers—small red flags can hide a big threat.
US investigators have already uncovered dozens of illegal laptop farms and charged American middlemen who helped place these workers.
One Arizona woman was sentenced to more than eight years in prison after helping generate $17m for Pyongyang.
The takeaway? In the age of remote work, even a job interview can be a national security issue.
