Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever
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- Create Date：2025-01-27 05:20:29
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Joseph Cox
- ISBN：1541702700
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Summary
The inside story of the largest law-enforcement sting operation ever， in which the FBI made its own tech start-up to wiretap the world， shows how cunning both the authorities and drug traffickers have become， with privacy implications for everyone。 In 2018， a powerful app for secure communications called Anom took root among organized criminals。 They believed Anom allowed them to conduct business in the shadows。 Except for one thing: it was secretly run by the FBI。
Backdoor access to Anom and a series of related investigations granted American， Australian， and European authorities a front-row seat to the underworld。 Tens of thousands of criminals worldwide appeared in full view of the same agents they were trying to evade。 International smugglers。 Money launderers。 Hitmen。 A sprawling global economy as efficient and interconnected as the legal one。 Officers watched drug shipments and murder plots unfold， making arrests without blowing their cover。 But， as the FBI started to lose control of Anom， did the agency go too far？
A painstakingly investigated exposé， Dark Wire reveals the true scale and stakes of this unprecedented operation through the agents and crooks who were there。 This fly-on-the-wall thriller is a caper for our modern world， where no one can be sure who is listening in。
Backdoor access to Anom and a series of related investigations granted American， Australian， and European authorities a front-row seat to the underworld。 Tens of thousands of criminals worldwide appeared in full view of the same agents they were trying to evade。 International smugglers。 Money launderers。 Hitmen。 A sprawling global economy as efficient and interconnected as the legal one。 Officers watched drug shipments and murder plots unfold， making arrests without blowing their cover。 But， as the FBI started to lose control of Anom， did the agency go too far？
A painstakingly investigated exposé， Dark Wire reveals the true scale and stakes of this unprecedented operation through the agents and crooks who were there。 This fly-on-the-wall thriller is a caper for our modern world， where no one can be sure who is listening in。
Reviews
Vicki
，
Such an interesting story， but written like a textbook。 No real intrigue or mystery or humanization/characterization of the key players。 it was a slog to get through。
Valerie
，
Absolutely fascinating！
Brian Murphy
，
Phenomenal piece of true crime journalism。
Gavin Droessler
，
I will echo much of what others have said。 This book had a very interesting story and subject matter， but there just wasn’t enough for it to be 300+ pages。 The chapters felt like little vignettes， each with the same repetitive story。 By about halfway through， I got the gist and was ready for the story to be done。
Marc Storey
，
Resolved this year to read less thrillers and focus on some non fiction， this is not always a good plan。 This book is a great example of why， as the whole book - though not too long- can be covered in basically its own jacket summary。 Phone encryption used by crime， the phone is hacked by FBI， crims use phone， FBI watch messages and arrest crims-end
Apa
，
I would really like to rate this 4* but I just didn't like the writing style。 The book is written like a longread investigative journalism story - basically that's what it is。 Reporting， not narrative。 The subject matter though， that's solid gold。 If this was a movie you'd dismiss it as "unbelievable plot， not possible， pure fantasy" but all of it is true and happened just a 2-4 years ago。Another round of editing would have been good。 Almost on every second page there's a line like "FBI was read I would really like to rate this 4* but I just didn't like the writing style。 The book is written like a longread investigative journalism story - basically that's what it is。 Reporting， not narrative。 The subject matter though， that's solid gold。 If this was a movie you'd dismiss it as "unbelievable plot， not possible， pure fantasy" but all of it is true and happened just a 2-4 years ago。Another round of editing would have been good。 Almost on every second page there's a line like "FBI was reading all of their messages"， "the criminals didn't know that the authorities saw everything" etc。 This really does not need to be repeated all the time。 。。。more
Julie McKenna
，
Oh my WOW。 This story is insane & everyone needs to read this。 Honestly shocked that I did not know about this at all or see any of it in the news。 Slightly terrifying the sheer volume of drugs that are moved around the world。
Radu
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"Darkwire" takes readers into the heart of one of the most audacious and innovative law enforcement operations in history。 At its core is ANOM， an encrypted messaging app secretly developed and deployed by the FBI to infiltrate and monitor criminal networks。The book examines the broader context of law enforcement’s evolving strategies against encrypted communication platforms。 Phantom Secure， one of the earliest platforms， provided stripped-down BlackBerry devices with encryption， ensuring no tr "Darkwire" takes readers into the heart of one of the most audacious and innovative law enforcement operations in history。 At its core is ANOM， an encrypted messaging app secretly developed and deployed by the FBI to infiltrate and monitor criminal networks。The book examines the broader context of law enforcement’s evolving strategies against encrypted communication platforms。 Phantom Secure， one of the earliest platforms， provided stripped-down BlackBerry devices with encryption， ensuring no traces of communication could be accessed by outsiders。 The FBI dismantled Phantom Secure in 2018 by heavily relying on informants and traditional surveillance techniques to bring down its operations。Sky Global， another encrypted platform， was taken down through a coordinated effort targeting its servers in Roubaix， France。 For two years， law enforcement agencies from Belgium， France， and the Netherlands intercepted approximately one billion messages before finally shutting down Sky Global in March 2021。 EncroChat， a similarly popular platform， also had its servers in Roubaix。 European authorities compromised it in 2020 by installing malware， enabling real-time access to encrypted messages。These takedowns disrupted criminal communications， but they also had an ironic consequence—many displaced users turned to ANOM， unaware of its true purpose。What makes ANOM a game-changer is its unique nature。 Unlike prior operations that focused on infiltrating or cracking existing platforms， ANOM was designed and operated entirely by law enforcement。 Created by the FBI and Australian Federal Police， the app was deliberately engineered as a secure communication tool with a hidden backdoor。 This backdoor enabled law enforcement to read encrypted messages without alerting users， providing unprecedented access to real-time communications。 From the outset， ANOM’s servers were controlled by the FBI， allowing seamless monitoring of all activity。 The app’s distribution strategy was equally clever—marketed exclusively through criminal networks and word-of-mouth endorsements， it was perceived as a trusted and elite tool for secure communication。Over its three-year operation， ANOM amassed more than 12，000 users across 90 countries， generating millions of messages。 This wealth of intelligence allowed authorities to monitor criminal activities as they unfolded， ultimately leading to significant results。 The operation resulted in over 800 arrests worldwide， along with the seizure of 32 tons of drugs， 250 firearms， and $48 million in cash and assets。 These numbers underscore the unprecedented impact of the operation， making it one of the most successful global law enforcement actions in history。Yet， the success of ANOM raises profound ethical and legal questions。 By operating the platform， the FBI facilitated criminal communications to build its case， effectively allowing crimes to occur under its watch。 This strategy has drawn criticism， with many questioning the boundaries of such operations。 Allowing illegal activities to proceed for the sake of gathering evidence introduces a complex dilemma about the balance between public safety and individual privacy。 Critics argue that ANOM sets a dangerous precedent， potentially paving the way for misuse of similar tactics in the future。For readers curious about the interplay of technology， crime， and law enforcement， "Darkwire" is both a thrilling and sobering read。 。。。more
Bradley Herman
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Really cool read about a massive worldwide sting operation involving encrypted phones。 Was a bit repetitive。 Overall really enjoyed it。
Michaela Kollin
，
Dark Wire tells fascinating story， but the writing style was a bit drab。 With all of the direct quotes and jumping between different subjects， this felt more like a very long newspaper article than narrative nonfiction。 With that said， the multi-year， international sting operation was impressive and interesting enough that the book could get by on the inherent appeal of the story it was telling even if the writing style didn’t add much。 It’s also crazy to me that the FBI essentially ran this who Dark Wire tells fascinating story， but the writing style was a bit drab。 With all of the direct quotes and jumping between different subjects， this felt more like a very long newspaper article than narrative nonfiction。 With that said， the multi-year， international sting operation was impressive and interesting enough that the book could get by on the inherent appeal of the story it was telling even if the writing style didn’t add much。 It’s also crazy to me that the FBI essentially ran this whole operation but never but never got to use it on targets inside the United States。 。。。more
Laura
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How does a story about international drug deals manage to be so boring？
Adam
，
Interesting insight into the sting operation。 The book was a bit repetitive with reminding the reader too much about basic concepts and had several typos in the first 100 pages。
Caroline
，
What might have been an okay longform piece stretches into the 300+ pages （a length that seems to be required of any recent non-fiction， no matter how much tighter the book could be trimmed to 200 pages） makes the sordid details of organized crime rings and the FBI’s stealth operation of an encrypted messaging platform into a repetitive slog。 1 star because there isn’t a zero star rating and another star for learning that cocaine is sometimes packaged inside tuna cans that also contain actual tu What might have been an okay longform piece stretches into the 300+ pages （a length that seems to be required of any recent non-fiction， no matter how much tighter the book could be trimmed to 200 pages） makes the sordid details of organized crime rings and the FBI’s stealth operation of an encrypted messaging platform into a repetitive slog。 1 star because there isn’t a zero star rating and another star for learning that cocaine is sometimes packaged inside tuna cans that also contain actual tuna。 。。。more
Jen
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3。5
FRED CHRISTENSEN
，
Would have been more powerful if it included at least something about the consequences both for those arrested and those not。 A bit long， honestly， with over repetition of the obvious but very worthwhile nonetheless。
Rachel
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Fascinating storySuch an interesting read！ I had no idea of the scale of organized crime！ It was depressing how many awful people there are， though。
Chloe
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Incredibly interesting and detailed book。 Had me captured start to finish
Charles Reed
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72%Warning， this review is dictated and may not make sense linguistically in entirety。 This book really is framed as this thing where the FBI is a bunch of heroes。 Like， yeah， they caught the bad guys that were using encrypted phones。 First of all， there's nothing wrong with an encrypted phone。 It's a security measure。 Reminds me of the Guardian and Lightem that said that I must be expecting people to do bad things because I have security equipment on my property。 Not necessarily， but since some 72%Warning， this review is dictated and may not make sense linguistically in entirety。 This book really is framed as this thing where the FBI is a bunch of heroes。 Like， yeah， they caught the bad guys that were using encrypted phones。 First of all， there's nothing wrong with an encrypted phone。 It's a security measure。 Reminds me of the Guardian and Lightem that said that I must be expecting people to do bad things because I have security equipment on my property。 Not necessarily， but since someone went and tried to steal my mother's car。 Yeah， I got tracking software and I also have security cameras for that。 Nothing wrong with being cautious and having security。 Same thing within my bedroom。 I've been intentionally poisoned or unintentionally， whatever you want to look at it as。 And guess what？ That's a safety precaution。 People entering into situations like this and saying， well， you know， you're being very secure。 You must be doing something wrong。 No， I'm just concerned for my safety。 Because guess what？ The FBI a lot of times will also make mistakes and prosecute people wrong。 That's actually happened where the FBI is chasing the FBI and attacking each other。 And that is messed up。 Beyond that， there are more concerning details。 Like， what about the fact when the FBI ends up prosecuting and investigating over the wrong person？ Someone that's not doing anything wrong because I've had people investigate me and I didn't do anything wrong。 In fact， I live extremely morally and intelligently because I don't feel like getting into any sort of trouble。 So I just don't risk myself in a situation where I'm having really any potential for profound negative consequences。 Yet here I am having my securities and justices impinged upon。 This goes to show even the best people can still be messed up by messed up people that have power that they should not have。 Again， there's nothing wrong with having an encrypted phone。There is something wrong with realizing that there are crimes going on and not actually doing anything to stop them when it is literally your job to stop them。 It's like， oh， well， let's keep going and see if anything worse happens。 You know， police aren't even allowed to do that。 If they see you commit a crime， they can't wait to see if you commit more crimes。 They are legally liable so that they have to stop you after you've done a crime。 They can't just wait and say， oh， let's see if you do more， which the FBI seems to be able to do。 That's insane。 Because the data we have even says， you know， if you just stop people with their small crimes， they usually just stop doing them when they don't do more big crimes。 So you could just do the whole preventative thing。 You don't have to be in the situation where you're just letting people cause more problems。 You are literally contributing directly to the fucking issue at that point。 Man， the government sucks。 Sometimes。 Lots of times， actually。 。。。more
The_J
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Excellent pacing for both background and action。 Little San Diego FBI rocks the world， but cowardly DOJ fails to clean up USA， while the world gets cleaned of crime。 Go Go Encryption scam！
Sarah
，
Normally when a book promises "the incredible true story，" it's hyperbole， but not in this case。 The FBI really did build a company selling encrypted phones， solely so they could listen in while criminals conducted business -- and it worked beyond their wildest dreams， interrupting cartels across the globe and giving the authorities an eavesdroppers' access to not just the drug deals being plotted but the intricate relationships driving these underground economies。 One fascinating aspect: They c Normally when a book promises "the incredible true story，" it's hyperbole， but not in this case。 The FBI really did build a company selling encrypted phones， solely so they could listen in while criminals conducted business -- and it worked beyond their wildest dreams， interrupting cartels across the globe and giving the authorities an eavesdroppers' access to not just the drug deals being plotted but the intricate relationships driving these underground economies。 One fascinating aspect: They couldn't listen in on the phones in the U。S。， due to privacy laws here， and the American authorities who signed off on the enterprise never really appreciated its possibilities even as it disrupted operations across Europe。 Author Joseph Cox， a skillful reporter， doesn't dig deeply into the philosophical questions raised by these adventures， but provides all the facts necessary to get readers' heads spinning。So many times reading Cox's deeply reported examination of the operation I found myself thinking， "This HAS to be a movie。" And soon， I'm sure， it will。 。。。more
Chris Basoglu
，
"Dark Wire" by Joseph Cox， is a non-fictional account of the crime world that reads like a thriller， and delves into the intricate world of encrypted communications and the lengths to which law enforcement agencies go to intercept them。 Cox's meticulous research and engaging narrative style make this book a compelling read for anyone interested in cybersecurity and privacy。 His ability to explain complex technical concepts in an accessible manner is particularly impressive， making "Dark Wire" a "Dark Wire" by Joseph Cox， is a non-fictional account of the crime world that reads like a thriller， and delves into the intricate world of encrypted communications and the lengths to which law enforcement agencies go to intercept them。 Cox's meticulous research and engaging narrative style make this book a compelling read for anyone interested in cybersecurity and privacy。 His ability to explain complex technical concepts in an accessible manner is particularly impressive， making "Dark Wire" a must-read for both experts and novices alike。I found "Dark Wire" to be incredibly relevant and thought-provoking。 The book highlights the ongoing battle between privacy advocates and law enforcement。 The book's detailed case studies and real-world examples underscore the importance of balancing innovation with ethical responsibility。 The deep insight into criminal affairs turned the book into a page turner。 This book would definitely make for a great movie and I heard one is indeed being developed。 。。。more
Max Wilson
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A well written and better researched account of the greatest snaring of international criminals ever。 Some effort is made to describe the implications for the civil rights of law-abiding citizens， but the entire story could be retold （less robustly） from that vantage point。 But the heroes are then added to count of villains， and that might be too much for the average reader。
Ions
，
Great listen！ Great True Crime story！ Really makes you wonder more and more about the devices and apps we use。
Robert McAusland
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Well detailed account of a not well known sting operation involving a device that you would think criminals would be suspicious of。 Joseph Cox was way ahead on this news story and saw the potential of keeping tabs on the cyber sleuth aspect with cell phones。 A bit long in the tooth in terms of length when reading but the detail along with the diverse array of characters makes this a great read。 The shadow drug industry is at a level that is unfathomable from eyes of the common person。
Sophia
，
Journalist Joseph Cox's Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever is an interesting foray into the world of international law enforcement and organized crime。 In the early 21st century， it seemed that organized criminals were gaining the upper hand with specially encrypted devices （remember Blackberries？）。 When the San Diego field office of the FBI was offered a chance to run an encrypted phone network called Anom， they actually took it。 This out-of-the-box plan al Journalist Joseph Cox's Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever is an interesting foray into the world of international law enforcement and organized crime。 In the early 21st century， it seemed that organized criminals were gaining the upper hand with specially encrypted devices （remember Blackberries？）。 When the San Diego field office of the FBI was offered a chance to run an encrypted phone network called Anom， they actually took it。 This out-of-the-box plan allowed the FBI to receive a copy of every message sent on this network， almost exclusively used by criminals and their associates。 At first， the intelligence was shared only with a few countries such as Australia and Sweden， but eventually a truly collaborative international task force developed。 The operation peeled back the curtain on how the organized crime world works; Cox was also able to describe the criminals' perspective。 The monitoring had to be constant in case there was a threat to life that required intervention。 Unfortunately， it also showed how an operation that resulted in seizures in the magnitude of tons was just a sliver of the action and hardly made a dent in the drug trade。 I am glad to learn that this would be turned into a movie， which I think will be engaging。 An interesting and quick audiobook experience。 。。。more
Matt Potts
，
The story of the actual sting can be summed up in probably 20 pages。 Thus book is really more of a history of organized crime’s use of modified encrypted phones and governments’ efforts to access them which culminates with the sting referenced in the sub-title。 It’s super interesting and a good read， just understand that there is a lot of history， background， and storytelling to make this all long enough for a book。
David Evans
，
2。5 stars。 The idea that criminals were using encrypted phones controlled and monitored by the FBI made for a potentially fascinating story。 Alas I found myself skimming over large swaths of the book as the story was mostly dull。 Kind of meh。 Not horrible。
Daniel
，
Compelling story and background， but a bit more social commentary or broader insight would have been welcome。 Stretches feel like a grab-bag of anecdotes from the underworld。
Mike Young
，
3。5 - Starts strong but the last ~150 pages are repetitive。 Interesting true story but should have been shorter and the writing more engaging。 Highlights the bureaucratic bloat that prevented the US from using its own intel， but instead provided the ROW with the largest sting op ever。
Andreas
，
Great except for the incessant remarks of "but little did they know the FBI was watching their every move。。。" Great except for the incessant remarks of "but little did they know the FBI was watching their every move。。。" 。。。more
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