The U.S. has seized 17 website domains used by North Korean information technology workers to defraud businesses worldwide and secure illicit funds for Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile development, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Wednesday.

In a related action, the U.S. also issued a joint advisory with South Korea warning companies against hiring DPRK IT workers using false identities.

Washington’s action against the fraudulent domains follows court-authorized seizures in Oct. 2022 and Jan. 2023 of approximately $1.5 million collected by North Korean IT workers, the DOJ said in a press release.

“The seizures announced today protect U.S. companies