US sanctions North Koreans, Russians in IT fraud case — SkimNews
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- Treasury Department sanctioned 10 individuals and one entity on Wednesday for allegedly defrauding U.S. businesses to benefit the North Korean military
- Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated eight North Korean nationals and two Russian nationals in connection with the alleged IT fraud scheme
- North Korea is accused of using the fraudulent proceeds to support its military, according to the Treasury's allegations
- Russia is implicated through the involvement of two of its nationals in the sanctioned network, marking a rare public link in this type of financial scheme
Why it matters: By sanctioning Russian nationals alongside North Koreans, the U.S. signals a willingness to target third-country enablers in Pyongyang’s illicit finance operations. This raises the risk of secondary sanctions for foreign individuals and firms aiding North Korea, even if they aren’t direct state actors.
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