Nail salon worker with no degree landed 13 IT jobs, made over ₹8 crore in salary
A 40-year-old man from Maryland has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after allegedly holding 13 remote IT jobs—despite having no formal education or experience in software development. Over three years, Minh Phuong Ngoc Vong made more than $970,000 (approximately ₹8.26 crore) by outsourcing his work to North Korean operatives, according to Fortune.
Vong, who previously worked in a nail salon, managed to deceive multiple US companies including government agencies into hiring him. As part of his guilty plea, he admitted to allowing North Korean nationals, operating out of China, to pose as him and perform highly sensitive IT work remotely.
Vong told the FBI that he was initially approached by someone calling himself "William James" on a gaming app. "James" offered to help Vong make money legally through remote IT jobs. He and his associates fabricated a resume for Vong, claiming he had a degree from the University of Hawaii, 16 years of experience as a software developer, and had held a secret-level security clearance.
One of the positions Vong fraudulently secured was on a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contract that involved monitoring aviation assets mid-flight in the US. After being hired, Vong was issued a MacBook Pro and a Personal Identity Verification card, granting him access to secure government systems and facilities.
Instead of doing the job himself, Vong installed remote-access software on the FAA-issued laptop, which allowed individuals in China to log in and work under his identity. These operatives even attended Zoom meetings on Vong's behalf, discussing task lists and pretending to be him in daily team updates.
The US Department of Justice revealed that Vong was part of a broader scheme where North Korean operatives gained access to US remote jobs through American citizens, funneling earnings back to North Korea's regime.
The elaborate fraud spanned from 2021 to 2024 and Vong now faces up to 20 years in prison.
(Also read: Chinese techie lives in his car for 4 years despite owning a four-storey house)
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