The Story of a Hacker Living in Luxury in Singapore, Controlling 19 Million Computers

Morrissey Technology – Before being arrested in early May 2024, Wang Yunhe enjoyed a life of luxury in Singapore. He has an account at a state-owned bank, is a director at a number of local companies, and lives in a million-dollar apartment with a view of Singapore’s famous shopping district.

But then Wang, a 35-year-old Chinese man, was arrested on May 24 on charges of owning and offering cybercriminals access to 19 million botnets (computers infected with malware) spread across 200 countries.

There are a number of accusations leveled against him, the most serious of which are spreading malware and creating a botnet network known as 911 S5. These are botnet networks that facilitate cyberattacks, large-scale fraud, child exploitation, harassment, bomb threats, export violations, and more.

The arrest was carried out by a joint operation between the Singapore Police, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which has been investigating this case since August 2022. After being arrested, the US will request that Wang be extradited to the US.

Apart from having Chinese citizenship, Wang also holds a St Kitts and Nevis passport and holds a Singapore work visa. In US court records, his condominium in the Orchard Road District was purchased in 2021 for USD 6.9 million.

Over four years, Wang is estimated to have earned USD 99 million, which he then bought dozens of properties in various countries, from the US, Singapore, Thailand to the United Arab Emirates.

Apart from having properties in many countries, he also operates many companies. Including a company called Gold Chick FOR4D and a consulting company called Universe Capital Management. He is also a shareholder in the software sales company Eternal Code.