In a groundbreaking international operation, law enforcement officials have arrested a Chinese national and dismantled a massive botnet that has been operating for nearly a decade. The botnet, known as “911 S5,” was used by cybercriminals for a range of illegal activities, including identity theft, child exploitation, and financial fraud, including pandemic relief scams.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the botnet was likely the largest in the world, with malware-infected computers in almost 200 countries. The mastermind behind this operation, Yunhe Wang, 35, was apprehended in Singapore on May 24. Authorities also seized $29 million in cryptocurrency during the operation.
Wang allegedly sold access to the botnet, which consisted of 19 million Windows computers, to criminals who used it to commit various crimes. These criminals were responsible for over $5.9 billion in estimated losses due to fraud against relief programs, with 560,000 fraudulent unemployment insurance claims originating from compromised IP addresses.
The indictment against Wang reveals that he used his illicit gains to purchase 21 properties in multiple countries, including the United States, China, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and St. Kitts and Nevis, where he obtained citizenship through investment.
The successful takedown of this botnet was a result of collaboration between international law enforcement agencies, with authorities in Singapore and Thailand playing a crucial role in the operation. The Justice Department expressed gratitude to all the agencies involved in bringing down this criminal network.