An international law enforcement team has made a significant arrest and disrupted a major botnet operated by a Chinese national named Yunhe Wang. Wang was accused of running the “911 S5” botnet, which was described as likely the world’s largest network of malware-infected computers in nearly 200 countries. Wang allegedly made at least $99 million in profits by reselling access to criminals who used the botnet for identity theft, child exploitation, financial fraud, and pandemic relief scams.
Authorities arrested Wang in Singapore and executed search warrants in Thailand. They also seized $29 million in cryptocurrency. Cybercriminals used Wang’s network of zombie residential computers to steal billions of dollars from financial institutions, credit card issuers, accountholders, and federal lending programs since 2014, according to an indictment filed in Texas’ eastern district. The administrator, Wang, sold access to the 19 million Windows computers he hijacked, with over 613,000 in the United States, to criminals who used the access to commit various crimes victimizing children, threatening people’s safety, and defrauding financial institutions and federal lending programs.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the takedown of Wang’s botnet and stated that criminals who purchased access to the zombie network from Wang were responsible for more than $5.9 billion in estimated losses due to fraud against relief programs. Officials estimated that there were 560,000 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims as a result of the botnet. The operation to arrest Wang and disrupt the botnet was a significant step in combating cybercrime and protecting individuals and institutions from fraud and exploitation.
The arrest of Wang and the takedown of the “911 S5” botnet highlighted the significant impact that cybercriminals can have on individuals, financial institutions, and government programs. The botnet was used for a range of criminal activities, including identity theft, child exploitation, and financial fraud. The botnet administrator, Wang, profited significantly from selling access to the infected computers, resulting in billions of dollars in losses for victims of fraud and exploitation.
The international law enforcement team’s successful operation to dismantle Wang’s botnet demonstrated the importance of collaboration in combating cybercrime on a global scale. By working together across borders, authorities were able to arrest a major cybercriminal and disrupt a significant network of malware-infected computers. The seizure of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency and the prevention of further fraudulent activity by criminals who purchased access to the botnet were crucial steps in protecting individuals and institutions from cyber threats and financial losses.
