Current:Home > MyAuthorities arrest man allegedly running ‘likely world’s largest ever’ cybercrime botnet -Blueprint Wealth Network
Authorities arrest man allegedly running ‘likely world’s largest ever’ cybercrime botnet
View
Date:2025-04-13 18:17:53
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! (13956)
Related
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Cardinals get AL Cy Young runner-up Sonny Gray to anchor revamped starting rotation
- 13 Sierra Leone military officers are under arrest for trying to stage a coup, a minister says
- Massive crocodile sighting: Watch 14-foot 'Croczilla' in Florida Everglades
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- France to ban smoking on beaches as it seeks to avoid 75,000 tobacco-related deaths per year
- Strike over privatizing Sao Paulo’s public transport causes crowds and delays in city of 11 million
- Audio intercepts reveal voices of desperate Russian soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine: Not considered humans
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Women falls to death down a well shaft hidden below rotting floorboards in a South Carolina home
Ranking
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Sydney Sweeney Looks Unrecognizable After Brunette Hair Transformation for New Role
- Sierra Leone’s leader says most behind the weekend attacks are arrested, but few details are given
- Mark Cuban reportedly plans to leave ABC's 'Shark Tank' after more than a decade
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Climate funding is in short supply. So some want to rework the financial system
- Illinois man wins $25K a year for life from lottery ticket after clerk's lucky mistake
- Hurry! These Extended Cyber Monday Sales Won't Last Forever: Free People, Walmart, Wayfair, & More
Recommendation
Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
Winter arrives in Northern Europe, with dangerous roads in Germany and record lows in Scandinavia
Audio intercepts reveal voices of desperate Russian soldiers on the front lines in Ukraine: Not considered humans
Jill Biden unveils White House holiday decorations: 98 Christmas trees, 34K ornaments
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell opens up about league's growing popularity, Taylor Swift's impact
When is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting? Time, channel, everything to know
Texas abortion case goes before state's highest court, as more women join lawsuit