The United States announces the dismantling of one of the largest botnets globally.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the successful dismantling of a global malware network responsible for stealing $5.9 billion (£4.65 billion) and connected to various criminal activities. This operation, carried out in collaboration with the FBI and international law enforcement agencies, targeted what is believed to be the largest botnet ever identified.

YunHe Wang, a Chinese national who also holds citizenship in St Kitts and Nevis, stands accused of creating and operating this network. Charges against Wang include conspiracy to commit computer fraud, substantive computer fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, carrying a maximum prison sentence of 65 years if convicted on all counts.

The botnet, named 911 S5, was operated from approximately 150 servers worldwide between 2014 and 2022, according to the indictment. It compromised over 19 million Internet Protocol (IP) addresses in nearly 200 countries, enabling various cybercrimes such as large-scale fraud, child exploitation, harassment, bomb threats, and export violations.

The DOJ estimates that more than half a million fraudulent unemployment insurance claims were made using compromised IP addresses, resulting in the $5.9 billion loss. Additionally, the botnet facilitated the purchase of goods with stolen credit cards and money laundering schemes. Wang allegedly profited approximately $99 million from selling access to the compromised IP addresses, using the funds to acquire assets in the US, St Kitts and Nevis, China, Singapore, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.

Law enforcement agencies in Singapore and Thailand, along with technology giant Microsoft, played crucial roles in the investigation, resulting in the seizure or identification of assets worth approximately $60 million, including luxury vehicles and watches.