A high-level honeypotting operation by the federal government has been uncovered.

TLDR: FBI secretly ran a major crypto money laundering operation for nearly a year after arresting its original operator Indian national Anurag Pramod Murarka operated “ElonmuskWHM” service, laundering $24 million in cryptocurrency The operation connected to drug traffickers, hackers, and the notorious Scattered Spider cybercrime group FBI lured Murarka to the US by approving his visa application before arresting him Murarka was sentenced to 121 months in prison for money laundering The FBI secretly took over and ran one of the darknet’s largest cryptocurrency money laundering services for nearly a year after arresting its creator.

 In a bold and controversial move, the FBI operated a money laundering platform on the dark web under the alias “ElonmuskWHM,” aiming to infiltrate the criminal ecosystem it served. According to an investigation by 404 Media, the FBI’s undercover cybercrime operation lasted nearly 11 months and facilitated close to $90 million in cryptocurrency transactions.  The ElonmuskWHM site allowed cybercriminals—including drug traffickers and hackers—to convert illicit cryptocurrency into cash, often mailed discreetly to customers across the country. In exchange, the operator took a 20% fee. The service, regularly advertised on forums like White House Market (WHM), offered anonymity and required no form of identity verification—making it a go-to laundering tool for bad actors avoiding mainstream exchanges like Coinbase or Binance.  A 404 Media review of court documents and online evidence confirmed the FBI’s direct role in running the site following the arrest of its original operator, Anurag Pramod Murarka, a 30-year-old Indian national. Murarka was eventually sentenced to over 10 years in prison. During its covert management, the FBI used the ElonmuskWHM site to investigate major crimes including drug trafficking, hacking schemes, and even a violent robbery in San Francisco.  This FBI crypto sting is part of a broader pattern of law enforcement embedding within the digital underworld. Similar tactics were used in previous operations like Trojan Shield, where the agency ran a fake encrypted phone company named ANOM, secretly monitoring global criminal communications. Another example includes the infiltration of the ransomware group “Hive,” enabling the FBI to intercept communications and disrupt attacks. While effective, the ElonmuskWHM sting also sparked privacy concerns. Court documents reveal that the FBI requested data from Google identifying every user who watched a specific YouTube video, raising red flags about surveillance overreach and potential constitutional violations.  Still, authorities defend such undercover cybercrime strategies as essential to understanding and dismantling complex digital criminal networks. Gabrielle Dudgeon, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, noted that the operation directly supported multiple federal prosecutions and investigations. As cybercrime becomes increasingly sophisticated, law enforcement agencies are evolving too—blurring ethical lines in the process. The ElonmuskWHM operation underscores the high-stakes chess match between digital criminals and those tasked with stopping them.

经过长期的卧底调查，美国联邦调查局发现了一个庞大的暗网洗钱网络，在FBI一年前逮捕了其创始人后，但仍继续运营该业务以识别更多的暗网洗钱客户。近期联邦调查局的蜜罐行动被揭露。

FBI rolt $24 miljoen crypto-witwasnetwerk op via darkweb. Ontdek hoe criminelen crypto misbruiken en welke technieken de FBI inzet om dit te stoppen.

FBI exposed a $24 million Dark Web money laundering ring, arresting ElonMuskWHM after tracking criminal clients for over a year.

En secret, le FBI a géré pendant près d’un an une plateforme de blanchiment de cryptomonnaies sur le dark web appelé ElonmuskWHM selon 404 Media après avoir arrêté son gérant. Le but des autorités éta...

In 2023 the FBI quietly arrested a notorious money launderer called ElonmuskWHM. Then the FBI secretly ran his operation for nearly a year to catch (and give money to) more criminals.

In 2023 the FBI quietly arrested a notorious money launderer called ElonmuskWHM. Then the FBI secretly ran his operation for nearly a year to catch (and give money to) more criminals.

In 2023 the FBI quietly arrested a notorious money launderer called ElonmuskWHM. Then the FBI secretly ran his operation for nearly a year to catch (and give money to) more criminals.

A high-level honeypotting operation by the federal government has been uncovered.

In 2023 the FBI quietly arrested a notorious money launderer called ElonmuskWHM. Then the FBI secretly ran his operation for nearly a year to catch (and give money to) more criminals.

In 2023 the FBI quietly arrested a notorious money launderer called ElonmuskWHM. Then the FBI secretly ran his operation for nearly a year to catch (and give money to) more criminals.

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In 2023 the FBI quietly arrested a notorious money launderer called ElonmuskWHM. Then the FBI secretly ran his operation for nearly a year to catch (and give money to) more criminals.

A high-level honeypotting operation by the federal government has been uncovered.

TLDR: FBI secretly ran a major crypto money laundering operation for nearly a year after arresting its original operator Indian national Anurag Pramod Murarka operated “ElonmuskWHM” service, laundering $24 million in cryptocurrency The operation connected to drug traffickers, hackers, and the notorious Scattered Spider cybercrime group FBI lured Murarka to the US by approving his visa application before arresting him Murarka was sentenced to 121 months in prison for money laundering The FBI secretly took over and ran one of the darknet’s largest cryptocurrency money laundering services for nearly a year after arresting its creator.

In 2023 the FBI quietly arrested a notorious money launderer called ElonmuskWHM. Then the FBI secretly ran his operation for nearly a year to catch (and give money to) more criminals.

In 2023 the FBI quietly arrested a notorious money launderer called ElonmuskWHM. Then the FBI secretly ran his operation for nearly a year to catch (and give money to) more criminals.

A high-level honeypotting operation by the federal government has been uncovered.

In 2023, the FBI discovered a major criminal known by the pseudonym ElonmuskWHM in the darknet, who was laundering millions of dollars for other criminals. After the arrest of ElonmuskWHM, the FBI continued to launder money for approximately a year to gather information on his clients. This operation allowed the collection of crucial data on criminal networks involved in money laundering and other illegal activities.

A high-level honeypotting operation by the federal government has been uncovered.

У 2023 році ФБР заарештувало відмивача грошей під псевдонімом ElonmuskWHM. Правоохоронці скористалися його зв’язками в рамках таємної операції для виявлення клієнтів незаконної мережі.