GEOFF WHITE: Rinsed: How the Tech Industry Washes Money for the World's Deadliest Crooks
Manage episode 492162405 series 3600705
Rinsed: How Tech Fuels Money Laundering for Cartels and Cybercriminals
In this episode of Underworlds, host Mark interviews journalist and author Geoff White about his book, Rinsed: From Cartels to Crypto: How the Tech Industry Washes Money for the World's Deadliest Crooks. Discover how cybercriminals exploit platforms like Axie Infinity, Call of Duty, Backpage, and Tornado Cash to launder illicit funds.
White delves into notorious figures like Nigerian influencer Hushpuppi, whose lavish lifestyle collapsed after laundering millions for North Korea’s Lazarus Group, infamous for massive heists like the Bangladesh Bank cyberattack, Axie Infinity hack, and the $1.5 billion Bybit Ethereum heist. With years of expertise in cyber and financial crime, White exposes the tech industry’s blind spots in tackling money laundering.
Tune in to explore Rinsed, the Lazarus Group’s global schemes, and the challenges of investigating cybercrime.
Timecodes:
0:00 - Intro
01:46 - Background to Geoff's book Rinsed
03:01 - The Intersection of Technology and Money Laundering
05:56 - General Blindness in Tech Industry
08:32 - Tornado Cash, Axie Infinity and North Korean Hackers
12:55 - Backpage, CSAM, Money Laundering
17:25 - Response to the Book from Tech World
19:00 - Resilience of Cryptocurrency & Pro-Crypto US Administration
22:54 - Lack of Ability to Control Illicit Finance
26:18 - The Evolving Threat of North Korean Cybercrime
30:01 - Hushpuppi: Social Media Influencer by Day, Money Launderer by Night
33:33 - The Challenges of Crypto Traceability
37:38 - Challenges of Writing on Money Laundering
40:58 - Characters that Left a Lasting Impact
43:19 - Discovering the Story
46:03 - What's Next?
49:44 - Why Books like Rinsed are still needed
52:11 - Importance of Security
54:11 - Upcoming Projects
54:53 - Outro
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Geoff White's book ‘Rinsed: From Cartels to Crypto: How the Tech Industry Washes Money for the World's Deadliest Crooks’ is available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rinsed-Cartels-Crypto-Industry-Deadliest/dp/0241624835
Audible version: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rinsed-Cartels-Crypto-Industry-Deadliest/dp/B0CWJMSTYG/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0
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11 episodes