Law enforcement agencies around the world have shut down a global malware network that stole $5.9 billion (£4.65 billion) and is linked to other crimes, the US Department of Defense said. Justice (DOJ).
The DOJ teamed up with the FBI and other international agencies to take down what was “probably the largest botnet ever created in the world.”
Chinese national YunHe Wang, also a citizen of Saint Kitts and Nevis, was tasked with creating and operating the network.
A botnet is a network of computers infected with malware and controlled by a malicious actor.
Mr. Wang is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, substantial wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
According to the indictment, between 2014 and 2022, Mr. Wang and others created and operated the botnet, called 911 S5, from approximately 150 servers around the world.
The botnet hijacked more than 19 million Internet Protocol (IP) addresses in nearly 200 countries, the DOJ said.
An IP address is a unique code that identifies a device on the Internet or network.
The botnet was used to carry out cyberattacks, large-scale fraud, child exploitation, harassment, bomb threats and export violations, the Justice Department said.
The United States estimated that more than half a million fraudulent unemployment insurance claims originated from compromised IP addresses, resulting in a loss of more than $5.9 billion.
The network also allowed cybercriminals to purchase goods with stolen credit cards or launder money, the DOJ said.
Mr. Wang allegedly sold access to IP addresses and received approximately $99 million, the DOJ said.
He is said to have purchased property in the United States, Saint Kitts and Nevis, China, Singapore, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.
Assets worth a total of approximately $60 million were seized or identified for seizure, including a Ferrari, a Rolls-Royce and several watches, the DOJ said.
Law enforcement agencies from Singapore and Thailand, as well as tech giant Microsoft, were among the organizations assisting in the investigation.
