The United States Department of Justice made a major announcement on Wednesday, revealing charges against a 35-year-old Chinese national named Yunhe Wang. Wang is accused of operating a massive botnet that is allegedly linked to a wide range of criminal activities, including fraud, child exploitation, and bomb threats.
Wang, who also goes by aliases such as Tom Long and Jack Wan, was taken into custody on May 24. The charges against him involve the distribution of malware through popular VPN services like “ProxyGate” and “MaskVPN,” as well as embedding viruses in internet files distributed via peer-to-peer networks known as torrents.
The malware distributed by Wang is reported to have compromised computers in numerous countries worldwide, allowing criminals to disguise their identities while carrying out various illegal activities. One of the most disturbing allegations is that funds intended for Covid-19 pandemic relief were stolen by foreign actors posing as unemployed US citizens, with Wang’s botnet facilitating these crimes.
The US government claims that Wang’s illicit proxy service, known as “911 S5,” has been operating since 2014 and has infected computers in almost 200 countries. FBI director Christopher Wray has described it as “likely the world’s largest botnet ever.”
In response to Wang’s alleged criminal activities, the US Treasury Department has sanctioned him and two other individuals associated with 911 S5. Wang reportedly had access to over 614,000 IP addresses in the US and more than 18 million worldwide, forming the extensive botnet. Customers of 911 S5 were able to choose their geographical location down to a specific US zip code.
The indictment against Wang reveals that a significant number of IP addresses captured by 911 S5 have been linked to fraudulent claims in pandemic relief programs, resulting in nearly $6 billion in losses. Additionally, the botnet has been tied to more serious crimes such as bomb threats and child sexual abuse material trafficking.
Officials from the Justice Department have emphasized the danger posed by proxy services like 911 S5, which criminals use to hide behind compromised IP addresses of residential computers around the world. Law enforcement agencies from Singapore, Thailand, and Germany collaborated with US authorities to arrest Wang, who now faces a laundry list of charges that could result in a maximum prison sentence of 65 years.
In conclusion, the case against Yunhe Wang highlights the global reach and severe consequences of cybercrime. The intricate web of criminal activities facilitated by Wang’s botnet underscores the need for continued vigilance and cooperation among international law enforcement agencies to combat such threats effectively.
