Man Sentenced to Five Years for Involvement in North Korean IT Employment Scam

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Ukrainian National Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Identity Theft Scheme

A Ukrainian national has been sentenced to five years in prison for his role in an identity theft scheme that enabled North Korean IT workers to secure employment under false pretenses.

Background of the Scheme

Oleksandr Didenko, 29, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft in November 2025. As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to forfeit over $1.4 million in assets, including $181,438 in cash and cryptocurrency seized from him and his co-conspirators.

Didenko’s scheme involved operating a website using the US-based domain Upworksell.com, which facilitated the sale and rental of stolen identities to overseas IT workers. These workers used the stolen identities to create accounts on freelance platforms based in California and Pennsylvania, where they advertised their skills and bid on IT contracts.

Scope of the Scheme

Between 2021 and 2024, Didenko managed a network of up to 871 proxy identities and operated at least three laptop farms in the United States. He helped his clients route their earnings through money service transmitters, transferring employment income to foreign bank accounts. As a result, the IT workers were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for their work, with much of the income reported in the names of US citizens whose identities had been stolen.

Disruption of the Scheme

The scheme was disrupted in May 2024, when the US Department of Justice seized the Upworksell.com domain and redirected its traffic to the FBI. Didenko was subsequently arrested by Polish authorities and extradited to the United States at the end of 2024.

“Oleksandr Didenko’s actions inflicted significant financial harm on US companies and citizens, ultimately benefiting a hostile nation-state,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “This sentence reflects the severity of his crimes and the importance of protecting the integrity of our financial systems.”

Conclusion

The case highlights the growing threat of identity theft and employment scams, particularly those involving foreign actors. As the use of freelance platforms and remote work arrangements continues to grow, companies and individuals must remain vigilant in protecting their identities and financial information.