Fisker EVs Hired An IT Spy Who Funneled Millions To North Korea’s Missile Program, CEO Henrik Fisker, Says “The Case Is With the FBI”

Welcome to the shocking world of automotive espionage. 

It appears North Korea is targeting U.S. automakers. A report from Automotive News (by subscription) reveals that Fisker Inc., the Ocean SUV electric car manufacturer located in Manhattan Beach, California, hired an IT worker who was a spy for the North Korean government to steal money for its missile program. 

AN says, "A remote information technology employee hired by Fisker Inc. turned out to be a spy for the North Korean government."

North Korea targeted Fisker and other automakers.

The report from the Danish magazine The Engineer said Fisker was among numerous U.S. automobile companies targeted by a money laundering scheme that funneled more than a staggering $6 million to North Korea's ballistic missile program.

AN says, "The story, based on documents filed by the U.S. Department of Justice, says Fisker hired a remote IT worker named Kou Thao in October 2021. But Thao's purported address in Arizona belonged to a woman named Christina Chapman, who set up laptop computers that the North Koreans accessed through Russia and China."

Fisker filed for bankruptcy shortly after firing the spy. 

Fisker terminated Thao in September 2023 after the Justice Department notified the electric vehicle maker that it was being scammed. The financial strain caused by the espionage activities could have led to Fisker filing for bankruptcy nine months later, in June 2024.

The report says Fisker wasn't the only automaker targeted by the spy. The Justice Department's April indictment of Chapman identifies one of her co-conspirators as "Frank C.," a contractor who worked for "a Fortune 500 iconic American automotive manufacturer located in Detroit, Michigan," starting in April 2022. 

The Justice Department document doesn't name the company. Two American Fortune 500 automakers are in Detroit, Michigan: General Motors and Ford Motor Company. 

The Wall Street Journal (by subscription) report says that North Korean spies are infiltrating U.S. companies through IT jobs, and companies unknowingly hire North Koreans for hundreds of low-level jobs, "giving Pyongyang access to cash and IP."

The FBI is aware of the problem.

The FBI warned companies about North Korea's highly tailored, difficult-to-detect social engineering campaigns against employees of decentralized finance ("DeFi"), cryptocurrency, and similar businesses to deploy malware and steal company cryptocurrency.

The FBI issued this public service announcement on September 3, 2024.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea ("DPRK" aka North Korea) is conducting highly tailored, difficult-to-detect social engineering campaigns against employees of decentralized finance ("DeFi"), cryptocurrency, and similar businesses to deploy malware and steal company cryptocurrency.

North Korean social engineering schemes are not just complex, but also elaborate, often compromising victims with sophisticated technical acumen. Given the scale and persistence of this malicious activity, even those well-versed in cybersecurity practices can be vulnerable to North Korea's determination to compromise networks connected to cryptocurrency assets.

North Korean malicious cyber actors researched various targets connected to cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) over the last several months. This research included pre-operational preparations suggesting North Korean actors may attempt malicious cyber activities against companies associated with cryptocurrency ETFs or other cryptocurrency-related financial products.

For companies active in or associated with the cryptocurrency sector, the FBI emphasizes North Korea employs sophisticated tactics to steal cryptocurrency funds. It is a persistent threat to organizations with access to large quantities of cryptocurrency-related assets or products.

Regarding it being a target of a North Korean spy, CEO Henrik Fisker told The Engineer that the case "is with the FBI" and declined to comment further.

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Writer since 2012. I’ve invested over 13 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You'll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Fisker Inc.