U.S. Shuts Down Over 40 Laptop Farms, Charges 14 in North Korean IT Worker Fraud
Summary: The U.S. Department of Justice charged 14 people and seized about 187 computers and KVM devices in an operation codenamed Lonestar Roundup, which also dismantled more than 40 laptop farms across Texas in raids conducted between September 21 and 25, 2026. The indictment alleges a scheme running from around 2019 to July 2025 in which North Korean IT workers used fake identities to hold remote jobs at more than 70 U.S. companies, generating approximately $3 million in revenue, with U.S.-based facilitators hosting company laptops and opening bank accounts for a fee.
What you should know: The scheme reached more than 70 employers across health care, communications, cyber support, retail, and manufacturing, and the FBI says IT workers now target cleared defense contractors, companies on U.S. government contracts, and active-duty military members to host laptops. CrowdStrike assessed the disruption will likely slow Famous Chollima only where the farms were shut down and is unlikely to have long-lasting effects.
Read the original at The Hacker News ↗
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