Chinese National Indicted in Multi-Year Phishing Campaign Targeting U.S. Defense and Aerospace Sectors A Chinese national, Song Wu, has been indicted on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft following a sophisticated phishing campaign that spanned nearly five years. The operation, uncovered by NASA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), targeted engineers, researchers, and employees at NASA, the U.S. military (Air Force, Navy, Army), the Federal Aviation Administration, universities, and private companies. Between January 2017 and December 2021, Song Wu and unidentified co-conspirators posed as colleagues or collaborators, using meticulously researched personas to deceive victims into sharing export-restricted defense software and source code. The stolen materials included aerospace design and weapons development tools, which are subject to strict U.S. export controls. Victims unknowingly violated these regulations by complying with the fraudulent requests. The investigation began after NASA’s Cyber Crimes Division (CCD) received an alert about suspicious emails from a Gmail account impersonating an aerospace professor with prior NASA ties. A federal warrant has been issued for Song Wu’s arrest, but he remains at large. He faces 14 counts of wire fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft. The case highlights the persistent threat of state-linked cyber espionage targeting sensitive U.S. technological and defense assets. NASA OIG emphasized the need for heightened vigilance in verifying digital communications, particularly when handling controlled materials.