Adapting to Criminal Activity During the Pandemic

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The chapter delves into how criminal networks and law enforcement adapted to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It discusses the accelerated development of surveillance tools by the FBI, criminals resorting to creative methods like using dead drops for money laundering, and a massive global law enforcement operation that resulted in over a thousand arrests in a sting operation.

Paris Marx is joined by Joseph Cox to discuss how the FBI created an encrypted phone company called Anom to read criminals’ messages and eventually carry out the largest international sting operation by law enforcement.

Joseph Cox is the author of Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever and the host of the 404 Media Podcast.

Tech Won’t Save Us offers a critical perspective on tech, its worldview, and wider society with the goal of inspiring people to demand better tech and a better world. Support the show on Patreon.

The podcast is made in partnership with The Nation. Production is by Eric Wickham. Transcripts are by Brigitte Pawliw-Fry.

Also mentioned in this episode:

Read an excerpt of Dark Wire at Wired.
Joseph wrote about the revelation that Lithuania hosted the Anom interception server and provided the intercepted messages to the FBI.

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