Dark Wire

The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever

By: Joseph Cox

Narrated by: Peter Ganim

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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Joseph Cox (P)2024 PublicAffairs

Critic reviews

"Joseph Cox has written an instant true-crime classic, the inside—very inside it turns out—story of the largest global crime sting in history, a fascinating portrait not just of the frontiers of technology but also how organized crime operates in the 21st century. Filled with stranger-than-fiction gangsters and smugglers, this book is part-Miami Vice, part-Sneakers, and part-Ocean's Eleven. Your eyebrows will be raised in amazement page after page."—Garrett Graff, director of the Cybersecurity Program at The Aspen Institute, bestselling author of Watergate: A New History

"A jaw-dropping page turner that truly terrified me. The story of how the FBI subverted an encrypted messaging program should send chills down the spine of anyone who cares about privacy and a free society."—Julia Angwin, contributing writer at the New York Times and author of the bestselling book Dragnet Nation: A Quest for Privacy, Security and Freedom in a World of Relentless Surveillance

"A tense, deep, beautifully told tale that could be a top-notch technothriller... except it's all true."—Cory Doctorow, author of The Bezzle and The Internet Con

Great book

Loved the narration. Excellent and very interesting content. I've listened to it more than once.

Overall very good, loses a bit focus, aprubt end

Very good book, flows like a movie, and the author does a good job of pacing the story and giving the listeners breathing room to learn the various different characters. The build up is great, but the climax is hard to recognize, and the cool down was a bit of a rushed effort to wrap up the book.

The book begins with very specific character stories but at the end it is about mass numbers and stats. It would be great to learn more personal aspects of the characters, but this being a crime expose I can see that being close to impossible. It would have been possible to look at lesser known, but public info, cases about these issues and how it can impact every day persons lives and not just criminals. Overall averages out to a 5/5.

fantastic story telling

Great research and fantastic story telling. The real life crime stories unfold page start page.

Amazing story

I typically listen to self development or business related books. This one was a really good find. A podcast called darkner diaries led me to this book. Such a crazy story…kept me on edge wanting to hear more. Gonna be said when it’s over.

Unbelievable story. Good job to all involved.

How much crime there really is. In places where I didn't think there was much crime.

Thought Provoking

Amazing to hear the success and depth of this undercover operation!!! But to counter that success, it is worth reading the epilogue first to think about the possible ramifications of use of this technology on citizens daily lives.

Bold. Bodacious. Brilliant.

A gripping tale that Hollywood best writers could never conjure up. There’s an intense tug of war desire to rush to the end to learn the outcome, but then you feel compelled to go along the journey and pace with the author. It’s maddening!!!

For such a very complex and difficult story, the author did a wickedly brilliant job giving you just enough details to see things microscopically, then pulls you out. You’re never bewildered or lost. The language, humor, and tone are all accessible and makes for a terrific book. On many occasions, while there was a desire to know the outcome, there was the constant tension of not wanting the book to end. Simply, masterful. Bravo!

Gripping story-

A True story that you may or may not want to know. Interesting story that once you get into it won’t let you go!

A grandchild of the enigma

What happens when a technology that was secret a few generations ago falls into hands of a new set of bad actors.

Excellent reporting. Excellent story

This one whizzed by for me. I love the reporting and the story in this one.