An operative from North Korea conducting an elaborate money laundering scheme was reportedly employed with Fisker among hundreds of other U.S. companies, according to Jalopnik.
An employee named Kou Thao was first hired on to Fisker in October 2022 as a remote IT worker. Though Thao had an address listed in Arizona, it was actually the residence of a woman named Christina Chapman.
Using a laptop sent to her home by the company, Chapman set it up so the computer could be accessed remotely from China and Russia. Paychecks would be sent to Chapman, who in turn funneled the money back to North Korea.
In between completing work, these actors would access sensitive company info, which would be used for extortion upon termination from their position.
Eventually, the FBI became aware of the scheme and alerted Fisker, who terminated Thao in September 2023. This wasn’t the only automaker to be targeted, with one DOJ filing suggesting that one of the Big Three were victims as well.
In total, over $6.8 million in wages were taken from more than 300 U.S. companies within the automotive, technology, cybersecurity, aerospace, media, retail, and food delivery sectors. Operatives also attempted to gain positions within the U.S. government, including the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but failed.
