"US Sanctions Three Chinese Men for Operating 911 S5 Botnet"

The Treasury Department recently announced sanctions against three Chinese nationals accused of creating and operating a botnet named 911 S5. The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated Yunhe Wang, Jingping Liu, and Yanni Zheng, as well as Spicy Code Company Limited, Tulip Biz Pattaya Group Company Limited, and Lily Suites Company Limited, which are Thailand-based companies that are allegedly owned or controlled by Wang. According to the Department of Justice (DoJ), Wang was the primary administrator of 911 S5, while Liu was responsible for laundering criminal proceeds, mainly through cryptocurrency.  Zheng is said to have acted as the power of attorney for Wang and one of his companies, making multiple payments and real estate purchases on his behalf.  911 S5 operated between at least 2015 and 2022, enabling cybercriminals to proxy their internet connection through compromised devices.   The DoJ noted that its operators tricked many users into installing their software by offering "free" VPN services.  While the VPN service worked, the software also turned computers without their owners' knowledge into proxies that could be used for illegal activities, such as payment card fraud.  The service was also used to make bomb threats in the US.

SecurityWeek reports: "US Sanctions Three Chinese Men for Operating 911 S5 Botnet"