Ukrainian Facilitator Sentenced for Enabling North Korean IT Fraud Scheme

Ukrainian national Oleksandr Didenko has been sentenced to five years in U.S. federal prison for operating a sophisticated fraud scheme that enabled North Korean IT workers to illegally obtain employment with American companies. The 29-year-old ran Upworksell.com, a platform that provided stolen U.S. identities and technical infrastructure to bypass sanctions prohibiting North Koreans from working for American firms.

Didenko pleaded guilty in November 2025 to charges of wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1343) and aggravated identity theft (18 U.S.C. § 1028A). His operation facilitated North Korean workers' access to U.S. job markets through:

1. Identity Theft: Providing 871+ stolen U.S. identities
2. Laptop Farms: Paying U.S. residents in California, Tennessee, and Virginia to host computers that masked North Korean IP addresses
3. Payment Obfuscation: Routing salaries through money services to avoid U.S. bank accounts

The scheme directly violated U.S. sanctions against North Korea designed to prevent funds from reaching Pyongyang's military programs. According to court documents, hundreds of thousands of dollars in fraudulent salaries were diverted to North Korea, with income falsely reported under victims' names to U.S. authorities.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro emphasized the national security implications: "Money paid to these so-called employees goes directly to munitions programs in North Korea. This is not just a financial crime; it's a crime against national security."

As part of his sentence, Didenko must forfeit $1.4 million in criminal proceeds and pay $46,547 in victim restitution. The case highlights critical vulnerabilities for U.S. companies:

• Verification Gaps: Employers must implement stronger identity validation for remote hires
• Geolocation Risks: Companies should monitor for IP inconsistencies and suspicious access patterns
• Payment Safeguards: Enhanced scrutiny of payment processors and contractor banking arrangements

The Department of Justice continues targeting facilitators of such schemes, warning that individuals enabling sanctioned regimes face severe penalties. This sentencing follows increased enforcement against North Korea's global IT worker network, which the FBI estimates has infiltrated thousands of U.S. companies since 2020.