Amazon Detects and Blocks 1,800 Fake IT Job Offers

Amazon stopped over 1,800 job applications from people suspected of being North Korean agents. These people were trying to get remote IT jobs. This shows that hiring fraud is getting bigger and more complex in the tech industry.

Stephen Schmidt, Amazon’s Chief Security Officer, said they found almost a one-third increase in these fake applications in the last year.

The applicants used stolen or fake IDs to get around the normal hiring checks. They wanted to get remote jobs so they could access important systems.

Key Highlights

• Amazon stopped 1,800 North Korea–linked fake IT job applications.
• Fraud attempts rose sharply, using stolen identities and hijacked profiles.
• Firms are strengthening remote hiring verification and compliance checks.

Amazon used both AI and people to check the candidates better. Even so, the company said that the ways people cheat are getting harder to spot. This includes taking over old LinkedIn accounts and pretending to be real software engineers to look believable when applying for jobs.

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The FBI has warned that lots of companies that hire remote IT staff might have unknowingly interviewed or employed people connected to North Korea. By May 2024, over 300 U.S. companies had been impacted. In one instance in Arizona, a remote hiring plan connected to North Korea made over $17 million illegally.

Many companies want better ways to check who their employees are and confirm their identities. They are starting to use services that verify IDs, track device locations, screen for sanctions, and watch for bad news in the media. U.S. authorities, like the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, can give out big fines and press criminal charges.