US Sanctions Russian Crypto Brokers Over North Korean IT Fraud
Summary
The US Treasury’s OFAC sanctioned 10 people and one entity for allegedly supporting North Korean IT-worker schemes. Two Russian nationals, Ilya Boykov and Vitold Obertas, are accused of converting millions of dollars in crypto and other currency for North Korean-linked operations. Treasury also designated a North Korean-controlled center in Russia and eight Ethereum and Tron addresses. The schemes use stolen identities and forged documents to place workers at legitimate companies, with wages funding the regime; workers may also exploit access to steal data or plant malware. The action follows earlier sanctions targeting alleged North Korean crypto laundering networks.
