FBI Ran Money-Laundering Operation To Trap Hackers

The FBI arrested one of the dark web’s most prolific money launderers—and then secretly took over his operation for nearly a year to catch other criminals, as reported in a detailed analysis by 404 Media.

The launderer went by the online name ElonmuskWHM, advertising anonymous cash delivery services to hackers and drug dealers via the now-defunct dark web site White House Market.

His service was simple: send cryptocurrency, and he’d mail you cash. No ID, no questions asked. He demanded a 20% fee for all dirty funds.

In 2023, the FBI finally arrested the man behind the name—Anurag Pramod Murarka, a 30-year-old Indian national. Authorities lured him into the U.S. by approving a visa application, said 404 Media.

But instead of shutting down the operation, they kept it running to identify and investigate Murarka’s clients, as reported by 404 Media. These included major drug traffickers and members of hacking groups, such as Scattered Spider, which caused millions in damage with attacks.

According to Gabrielle Dudgeon, spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kentucky, criminals thought they were communicating with ElonmuskWHM. “The FBI then investigated the launderer’s customers, including drug traffickers and hackers,” he added, as reported by 404 Media

According to the analysis the laundering service was very active. Court records show that nearly $90 million in cryptocurrency flowed through it. Murarka bragged about making $30 million, bragging that he could move $1 million per week and operate across continents. He said he could deliver $100,000 in one day in the U.S. and said, “Fuck LE, fuck the LAW.”

404 Media reports that Murarka’s clients, many of them drug dealers and cybercriminals, used the service to avoid traditional crypto exchanges that require ID checks and cooperate with law enforcement.

The FBI didn’t just follow the money, 404 Media reports that they became the money. Investigators mailed and received cash inside children’s books and used the operation to identify individuals shipping packages from New York. One courier, referred to only as “Eric,” eventually cooperated with law enforcement.

To identify Murarka, the FBI even sent him YouTube videos and asked Google to hand over the data of everyone who watched them during a specific week. 404 Media notes that this aggressive data request, which some experts called unconstitutional, raised major privacy concerns.