Current:Home > MyAuthorities arrest man allegedly running ‘likely world’s largest ever’ cybercrime botnet -TradeWise
Authorities arrest man allegedly running ‘likely world’s largest ever’ cybercrime botnet
View
Date:2025-04-19 17:35:20
WASHINGTON (AP) — An international law enforcement team has arrested a Chinese national and disrupted a major botnet that officials said he ran for nearly a decade, amassing at least $99 million in profits by reselling access to criminals who used it for identity theft, child exploitation, and financial fraud, including pandemic relief scams.
The U.S. Department of Justice quoted FBI Director Christopher Wray as saying Wednesday that the “911 S5” botnet — a network of malware-infected computers in nearly 200 countries — was likely the world’s largest.
Justice said in a news release that Yunhe Wang, 35, was arrested May 24. Wang was arrested in Singapore, and search warrants were executed there and in Thailand, the FBI’s deputy assistant director for cyber operations, Brett Leatherman, said in a LinkedIn post. Authorities also seized $29 million in cryptocurrency, Leatherman said.
Cybercriminals used Wang’s network of zombie residential computers to steal “billions of dollars from financial institutions, credit card issuers and 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 — more than 613,000 in the United States — to criminals who “used that access to commit a staggering array of crimes that victimized children, threatened people’s safety and defrauded financial institutions and federal lending programs,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in announcing the takedown.
He said 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 560,000 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims originated from compromised IP addresses.
Wang allegedly managed the botnet through 150 dedicated servers, half of them leased from U.S.-based online service providers.
AP AUDIO: Authorities arrest man allegedly running ‘likely world’s largest ever’ cybercrime botnet
Authorities have arrested a man allegedly running ‘likely world’s largest ever’ cybercrime botnet. AP’s Lisa Dwyer reports.
The indictment says Wang used his illicit gains to purchase 21 properties in the United States, China, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates and St. Kitts and Nevis, where it said he obtained citizenship through investment.
In its news release, the Justice Department thanked police and other authorities in Singapore and Thailand for their assistance.
veryGood! (1)
Related
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- Florida woman found dead on cruise ship, Bahamas police say
- Kali Uchis Gives Birth, Welcomes First Baby With Don Toliver
- Terrified residents of San Francisco’s Tenderloin district sue for streets free of drugs, tents
- Rams vs. 49ers highlights: LA wins rainy defensive struggle in key divisional game
- Christie Brinkley diagnosed with skin cancer during daughter's checkup
- New-look Los Angeles Dodgers depart for world tour with MVPs and superstars in tow
- 2 detectives found safe after disappearing while investigating Mexico's 2014 case of missing students
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Former Phoenix jail officer is sentenced for smuggling drugs into facility
Ranking
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Olivia Rodrigo concertgoers receive free contraceptives at Missouri stop amid abortion ban
- Shohei Ohtani unveils his new wife in a photo on social media
- NFL investigating Eagles for tampering. Did Philadelphia tamper with Saquon Barkley?
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- How well does Beyonce's Cécred work on highly textured hair? A hairstylist weighs in
- Ancient statue unearthed during parking lot construction: A complete mystery
- Sean Strickland isn't a mental giant, but he is a homophobe. The UFC needs to act
Recommendation
Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
IKEA slashes prices on products as transportation and materials costs ease
With Haiti in the grips of gang violence, 'extremely generous' US diaspora lends a hand
These Top-Rated Teeth Whitening Products Will Make You Smile Nonstop
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Cockfighting opponents in Oklahoma worry support is growing for weakening the state's ban on the bloody sport
Bodycam video released after 15-year-old with autism killed by authorities in California
Anti-terrorism team of U.S. Marines sent to Haiti to protect U.S. Embassy after prime minister says he will resign