- A Chinese national associated with a state-owned defense firm impersonated U.S. engineers for years to steal sensitive defense software.
- Victims included employees at NASA, the U.S. military, major universities, and private companies, violating export control laws.
- The defendant, Song Wu, faces charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft and remains on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.
In a case linking espionage to export fraud, U.S. authorities revealed on Thursday how a Chinese national impersonated American researchers to obtain sensitive software from NASA and defense contractors from 2017 to 2021. The U.S. Department of Justice previously indicted Chinese national Song Wu in September 2024 for orchestrating this multi-year spear-phishing campaign.
According to the indictment, Song was an engineer for the Chinese state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC). His campaign targeted dozens of U.S. professors, researchers, and engineers to acquire modeling software vital for aerospace and weapons design.
Consequently, several victims at NASA, the Air Force, the Navy, and other agencies unknowingly emailed sensitive technology to imposter accounts. The OIG stated employees “thought they were simply sharing software with colleagues.”
Song now faces charges including wire fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft, with a potential 20-year prison sentence per fraud count. However, the 40-year-old remains at large, and the FBI has added him to its Most Wanted List.
Authorities warned the specialized software could be used for developing advanced tactical missiles. The OIG noted phishing scammers often use unusual payment methods and make repeated requests for the same software without justification.
✅ Follow BITNEWSBOT on Telegram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X.com, and Google News for instant updates.
