Content material warning: Due to the character of a few of the actions we found, this sequence of articles comprises content material that some readers could discover upsetting. This contains profanity and references to medication, drug dependancy, playing, pornography, violence, arson, and intercourse work. These references are textual solely and don’t embrace pictures or movies.
Following on from Half One in our sequence on menace actors investing in enterprise pursuits exterior cybercrime, we check out so-called ‘white’ actions (a time period utilized by some cybercrime discussion board customers, referring to purportedly official companies). Whereas not essentially unlawful themselves, these actions are sometimes related to, and tainted by, prison exercise.
We acknowledge that legality can range relying on jurisdiction. Nonetheless, the breadth and depth of those actions are such that now we have to categorize them in some way, and utilizing the menace actors’ personal classes is a logical if imperfect alternative.
Key findings of Half 2
- On prison boards, menace actors are discussing a variety of ‘official’ enterprise pursuits (often called ‘white’ on the boards), spanning a number of sectors and industries – together with gold, diamonds, actual property, building, shares and shares, eating places, training, and lots of extra
- Whereas a few of these actions could relate to cash laundering, some menace actors can also be searching for to speculate and diversify
- Many menace actors sought, and obtained, recommendation from friends on the place and methods to make investments cash
- A number of the enterprise pursuits we report on right here may have important ramifications for the safety business – together with funding in cyber safety corporations; trying to evade export and import restrictions; and working proxy, internet hosting, and VPN companies
- In some circumstances, discussion board discussions revealed info and pictures that might doubtlessly be used to trace, geolocate, and/or determine menace actors
Shell corporations
Whereas shell corporations are sometimes created for cash laundering functions (see Half One), we discovered a number of fascinating variations on the boards.
Shell-companies-as-a-Service
One menace actor posted an advert providing to promote three US-based ‘turnkey’ corporations and financial institution accounts ($3900), or register a brand new US firm and three financial institution accounts underneath a purchaser’s consultant ($4990) or their very own consultant ($3500). This put up was accompanied by {a photograph} of a State of California Assertion of Info for a Non-Revenue Company. The menace actor obscured some particulars, however some names, addresses, and a doc reference quantity had been nonetheless seen.
Determine 1: A menace actor posts an advert for creating shell corporations
Determine 2: The identical menace actor posts an instance assertion of knowledge. Notice that whereas the menace actor redacted a few of this themselves (with slips of white paper), different doubtlessly helpful info (which now we have redacted in black) was nonetheless seen
We additionally noticed a service providing to open corporations within the UK, Gibraltar, and Panama ($1900) to facilitate a way referred to as “cuckoo smurfing,” which includes insiders in cash companies intercepting official transactions and mixing them with illicit ones.
This menace actor offered an instance of an organization which they claimed to have registered, together with the title and firm quantity. In line with the person, the service features a digital workplace, a UK handle, articles of affiliation, certificates of incorporation, and a UK cellphone quantity.
We regarded into the instance firm and located that it had been energetic for over a yr earlier than being compulsorily struck off. By way of Firms Home (an company that holds the general public register of UK corporations), we had been in a position to determine the director, and the title and handle of the company that registered the corporate (and which has acted as an agent for a number of different UK corporations, a few of that are nonetheless energetic – though some or all of those could also be official).
Determine 3: A menace actor posts an advert for registering corporations and descriptions a way they name ‘cuckoo smurfing’
Determine 4: The identical menace actor offers an instance of their “newest work,” which we checked on Firms Home
Evading restrictions
One menace actor sought recommendation on methods to register corporations for software program with “company verification…no, it’s not Cobalt Strike.”
One other person mentioned that they may create a US-based firm to order “delicate applied sciences.” The person said that “chips/software program/engines/different will likely be despatched to Latin America, from there to some other place we agree.”
Determine 5: A menace actor presents to create corporations “to order delicate applied sciences”
Cybersecurity
Hash decryption
We discovered a proposal to arrange a hash decryption service, utilizing Google Cloud, AWS, or Azure. Whereas it’s not essentially unlawful to function or use a hash decryption service, cybercriminals can use them to ‘break’ hashes (e.g., from knowledge breaches) and get better plaintext passwords.
Funding
We additionally noticed a suggestion to put money into a distinguished cybersecurity vendor (together with particulars of a rumor that it was going to accumulate one other firm). Irony apart, this raises the regarding chance that menace actors may develop into shareholders (and subsequently in a position to vote on company actions, obtain dividends, and so on.) of an organization that tracks and disrupts menace actors.
Determine 6: A menace actor recommends investing in a really well-known cybersecurity vendor
Begin-ups
We noticed two proposals to create safety start-ups. The primary was “to develop exploits and analyze software program and {hardware} vulnerabilities.” The opposite targeted on “authorized methods to promote already discovered vulnerabilities to those that didn’t ask for it.” In each circumstances, customers steered that this may be higher suited to the US or Europe than Russia.
One person additionally took the chance to criticize the cybersecurity business (“menace intel…is nothing, simply snake oil…apparently it’s worthwhile they usually purchase it, however the prices are 3 discussion board parsers and a weblog on Twitter”).
Determine 7: A menace actor promotes their cybersecurity start-up on a prison discussion board, and notes that they’re searching for “folks with related information” in vulnerability analysis, debugging, coding, and fuzzing
IT and web companies
On-line companies
Threads on this subject included:
- An current area buying and selling enterprise
- An API market
- A name for enterprise companions “to promote our companies…we’re 14 years previous [sic] company dealing in IT options.” Mentioned options included web site and software program growth, social media, and electronic mail advertising.
Determine 8: A menace actor seeks a enterprise companion for a pre-existing “IT options” firm
Cell apps
Varied menace actors are searching for funding in cellular apps, together with a cellular health app startup, and an funding alternative for a pre-existing suite of cellular purposes developed in Kazan, Russia.
This suite, distributed as a franchise, included apps for:
- Loyalty factors and affiliate applications
- Presents
- Facilitating buyer suggestions
- Assortment of consumer knowledge, and extra
Some customers steered that this was a type of multilevel advertising (MLM), akin to a pyramid scheme – extra on which later on this sequence.
Determine 9: A menace actor seeks a companion to work on a brand new cellular health app; the work contains “communicat[ing] with shoppers and keep[ing] Instagram…the fee is a 3rd of the venture, this can be a startup”
Social networking
Threads on this vein included an funding alternative for an “Instagram killer unicorn” and a marketing strategy to arrange a social community hosted within the UAE.
Bodily companies
One menace actor really useful that their friends “create your personal service for repairing Apple gadgets,” together with bypassing iCloud activation, putting in jailbreaks, eradicating Apple IDs, and so on.
Determine 10: A menace actor invitations their friends to contemplate creating their very own service “for repairing Apple gadgets…it’s related now, investments are minimal [and] the work is white”
Curiously, we additionally noticed a marketing strategy for digitizing VHS tapes.
Cryptocurrency/foreign money exchanges
We famous a number of enterprise proposals and funding adverts regarding this subject, together with:
- Exchanges utilizing Tor/I2P and a mixer, with out KYC (Know Your Buyer), and subsequently preferrred for cash laundering
- NFT marketplaces (together with a ready-made service, accessible to consumers for 1 million rubles)
- An funding alternative for cloud mining (“the place you bought the cash from doesn’t matter to me…the approximate return in your funds…with an funding of 200-300k inexperienced [i.e., USD]…[is] tens of millions of {dollars}”)
- An funding alternative for the event of GPU farms in Ukraine
- A proposal to develop a brand new cryptocurrency {hardware} pockets.
Determine 11: A menace actor seems for funding for the event of GPU farms in Ukraine (posted previous to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022)
One person said that they’d come into possession of a “small workplace house (80sqm) on the outskirts of London…inside which there are a dozen servers [and] an exquisite 10 GBPS web channel that has been equipped and already paid for 2 years.”
The person mentioned: “I’m legally in England, I’ve my very own enterprise (one other one)…how can I take advantage of this complete system to squeeze out most earnings?” Concepts from different customers included: recreation servers, internet hosting, and changing into an ISP (this final from a person who claimed to have operated an ISP for 13 years). Ultimately, the person determined to create an Ether mining farm.
Determine 12: A thread during which a menace actor sought enterprise concepts and attainable partnerships for workplace house “on the outskirts of London,” full with a “10 GBPS Web channel”
Internet hosting and proxy companies
We noticed a number of proposals and current companies regarding internet hosting and proxy companies (“I purchased all tools, invested round $10k”; “I personal a number of…SaaS, IoT, e-commerce and brokerage, 4 in USA, 1 in UK”).
This latter menace actor claimed that their SaaS and internet hosting companies had been “gray,” that they’d made 80k through PayPal on their e-commerce enterprise, and that for brokerage “I simply do exchanges underneath my very own CPA licence.”
Determine 13: A menace actor seeks recommendation regarding their proxy service
We additionally noticed a thread referring to a pre-existing, five-year-old internet hosting firm with its personal knowledge heart, “positioned in a bomb shelter of a former navy plant at a depth of 5 meters underground…every little thing is supplied and dealing, however there are few shoppers.”
Determine 14: A menace actor seeks recommendation on methods to get hold of extra shoppers for his or her pre-existing internet hosting firm “positioned in a bomb shelter of a former navy plant”
Menace actors working internet hosting or proxy companies (or some other ‘official’ IT or on-line service) raises the potential of customers’ knowledge and actions being illicitly inspected, stolen, bought, or in any other case misused – in addition to menace actors having the ability to use their very own infrastructure for assaults.
Fronts
There have been a number of ideas for IT/internet-related ‘fronts’ for cash laundering and legitimizing revenue, together with a “No Audit Logs VPN Service”, a “Shitcoin & NFT Meme venture”, and an “On-line On line casino Undertaking” which might permit a menace actor to “coincidentally win…an enormous six determine jackpot.”
Determine 15: A menace actor posts a number of ideas for “official enterprise[es] which I can combine my soiled funds in”
Gold and diamonds
Funding
We discovered an in depth information on investing in gold, which the creator had apparently carried out since 2010. The poster offered detailed choices:
- Shopping for bullion (simple however requires an 18% tax)
- Shopping for funding cash (no tax, accessible and worthwhile, however dearer)
- Opening a gold financial institution deposit (appropriate for short-term buyers)
- Shopping for shares in gold mining corporations (greater danger, however doubtlessly greater earnings).
The menace actor famous that the optimum answer for many buyers is to open a gold deposit in a financial institution, and shared a number of (Russian) hyperlinks.
Determine 16: A menace actor posts a information on investing in gold, detailing a number of strategies
Cryptocurrency for cash and gold
A person shared info on methods to alternate Monero for cash and gold bars anonymously: utilizing licensed suppliers on a P2P offshore market (“Liberland Defend”) to buy US Mint gold cash, and bars from PAMP Suisse, which the client took supply of at a “stealthy handle that I often use to obtain money by mail after I alternate XMR for money on LocalMonero.” The customer purportedly took a few of the bars to California, and exchanged them for money.
Determine 17: A menace actor (the identical person who beforehand admitted to bribing homeless folks with cash or medication to get them to open financial institution accounts, in Half One) describes a way for exchanging Monero for cash and gold bars
Diamonds
One menace actor famous that diamonds might be modified to money, might be hidden in a security deposit field in a relative’s title, and are untraceable (“except your [sic] silly.”).
This person additionally outlined a scheme to launder utilizing diamonds:
- Study the diamond commerce and get a vendor’s license
- Go to “nations in Africa,” purchase diamonds for $10,000 and ask for a receipt for $300,000
- Give the diamonds to a different vendor, together with $350,000 in ‘soiled cash’
- Ask that vendor to ship the $350,000 to your checking account, and supply a receipt.
This person additionally argued that diamonds are higher than gold as a result of it’s “simpler to cross by customs…[and] everybody within the business is soiled and tight-lipped.”
Determine 18: A menace actor outlines some great benefits of buying and selling diamonds on the subject of cash laundering, describing it as “a cash launderes [sic] moist dream”
Shares, shares, and investments
Threads on this subject included:
- Customers searching for recommendation on methods to purchase shares and shares, methods to choose a dealer, and whether or not they need to put money into American or Russian corporations, or in in nations (“primarily China”) that “wish to occupy a sure enterprise area of interest in our nation”
- A person involved in long-term funding ($50,000-$100,000) within the economies of overseas nations (“the precedence is just not profitability, however the security of the deposit…and free entry to funds”)
- A person searching for “contacts of American entrepreneurs” for investing in a startup
- A person planning to speculate their cash in “buying and selling options”, with a request for companions “who can register the corporate and open the accounts on the worldwide exchanges.”
Determine 19: A menace actor seeks recommendation on investing in China
We additionally noticed recommendation and proposals, equivalent to:
- A suggestion to put money into Index Funds “just like the S&P 500, it offers a good price of return of 11% yr over yr”
- A proposal to co-invest (“we decide the capital you commerce, I let you know when to enter and exit the place and for a way a lot. Revenue sharing: 60% for you, 40% for me”)
- A person primarily based in London “in search of a enterprise companion for a worthwhile monetary funding”
- Recommendation on deciding on a dependable dealer (together with the be aware that “in gentle of latest occasions [presumably the invasion of Ukraine in 2022], they [American brokers] hardly work with the Russian Federation, however there are at all times workarounds”)
- Detailed guides on launching startups, together with recommendation on securing buyers, making displays, pitching, and making use of to enterprise accelerators
- A put up by a person claiming to be an investor and in search of areas to put money into.
Determine 20: A menace actor who claims to be “dwelling in London” posts on a prison discussion board “in search of a enterprise companion…for a worthwhile monetary funding…precedence is given to folks from the UK”
We additionally famous quite a few threads the place customers mentioned they’d a particular amount of cash (often tens or a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars}) and wished funding concepts. For instance, we noticed a thread during which a person who “earned a small capital on matters that I regrettably tempered” wished recommendation on how and the place to speculate “in white at 20-30% every year.” They proposed a number of concepts, together with automobile resale, a product from China, and citizenship for Russia, Romania, and Moldova.
A person replied with in-depth recommendation, earlier than commenting: “I may even give the normal suggestion: return to these matters the place you made cash.” (This latter level was a typical theme, and we’ll cowl reinvesting in cybercrime later on this sequence.)
Determine 21: A menace actor asks their friends the place to speculate “a small capital [that I acquired from] matters that I regrettably tempered”
Different threads of this nature included:
Somebody who mentioned they had been about to begin a two-year sentence in a US federal jail (for trafficking firearms) and wished to speculate $2500 in one thing, in order that they might have funds once they had been launched
- The place to speculate $100,000 in a “gray” enterprise (ideas included actual property, shares, crypto, shopping for a bar, renting automobiles, and gold)
- The place to speculate 100-300k rubles (ideas included shares, buying and selling, actual property, building, and automobiles)
- The place to speculate $700,000 (ideas included recreation growth, shopping for shares in distinguished tech corporations, and inns)
- A person who was in search of funding suggestions “within the scorching new tendencies because of the conflict [presumably the Russian invasion of Ukraine], particularly in oil and fuel”
- The place to speculate $80,000-$100,000 (this thread included the person offering a number of biographical particulars about themselves and their acquaintances)
- What enterprise to open in Russia with $500,000.
This latter thread additionally included some biographical info, together with a remark that doubtless resonated with a whole lot of customers: “There isn’t a pension in our occupation, brother.”
Determine 22: A (purportedly) US-based menace actor, about to go to jail, seeks funding recommendation on a prison discussion board
Determine 23: A menace actor claiming to be an investor asks their friends to submit funding proposals, however states that they don’t seem to be involved in scams, building, actual property, medication, or eating places
An fascinating sidenote: on this latter thread, a person additionally shared a Vocaroo clip containing a Russian rap music themed round cybercrime. (Excerpt: “It was that you would get banned for engaged on RU / Now it’s virtually a fucking matter of routine / Shopping for all of the visitors to their fucking lockers / Killing bots for pennies like beggars.”)
Actual property
Funding
We noticed a number of threads by menace actors searching for to put money into actual property, together with:
- A person asking about buying actual property within the UAE and whether or not authorities there require details about the supply of funds
- A person, after having “by no means formally labored”, requested about investing in actual property and methods to “seem white and fluffy earlier than the state (Russia)”
- A query about methods to purchase actual property in Europe for those who’re primarily based within the Russian Federation (solutions included: trying into legalizing funds, saying the cash was a present from a relative, and utilizing NFTs).
Determine 24: A menace actor asks their friends whether or not authorities within the UAE require details about the supply of funds when buying actual property there
Recommendation
We additionally noticed threads by menace actors already concerned in actual property. These included a way of utilizing plots of land to launder cash: “I discovered filth low-cost plots of land in the course of the deserts and mountains. The sellers don’t examine backgrounds or credit score…I actually enquired about one final evening and signed the contract this morning.”
Determine 25: A menace actor shares particulars of a scheme for cash laundering through plots of lands
We additionally discovered a information on actual property initiatives in rural areas, together with costs, building prices, ROI, and companies (LLCs, money financial institution transfers, skilled contractors) primarily based in St Petersburg and Moscow. The creator (who has apparently “been constructing for a few years”) talked about particular initiatives they’d labored on, and uploaded two pictures, probably regarding these initiatives.
Determine 26: A menace actor shares {a photograph} that could be associated to an actual property venture they labored on. The unique supply is unclear
Lastly, we famous a thread by a person who claims to know an acquaintance with an actual property firm: “In case you are in search of methods to launder your cash I can prepare a deal, as a result of he accepts crypto. 2 room flats (64sqm) are 54,000 EUR.”
Business discussions
One person questioned why “there appears to be a rising development for…turning to property…what occurred to sunbed salons, tattoo parlors, automobile washes, canine breeding, or hospitality?…I’m strictly talking from a British perspective and do not know what the state of affairs/tendencies are in USA/Europe.” Customers commented that “actual property is so fashionable…as a result of not solely is it fairly simple to do however you may clear loads in a a lot shorter period of time.”
Determine 27: Menace actors talk about the “rising development for drug sellers turning to property for cash laundering”
Building
We noticed an in depth scheme for taking advantage of the reselling of building supplies (wooden, metals cement, concrete, mortar, and so on.). The scheme concerned discovering suppliers (a number of Russian suppliers had been named), providing to promote their items for a small proportion, and searching for consumers on Avito (a Russian categorized advertisements market) and VKontakte. The thread included a number of screenshots from a WhatsApp dialog, that includes a photograph of a building website and a screenshot of a financial institution switch affirmation.
Determine 28: One in all a number of WhatsApp screenshots in a thread on “creating wealth from constructing supplies.” Notice the {photograph} of a location, and an connected financial institution switch affirmation (the person additionally posted a separate screenshot of this). Whereas a few of the info within the financial institution switch affirmation was redacted, it nonetheless featured some doubtlessly helpful info, together with the quantity and the date and time
Furthermore, we noticed a number of building funding alternatives and schemes, together with:
A person who solicited recommendation on the perfect scheme to earn cash upfront earlier than promoting homes/flats (“I discovered that collective funding scheme is okay, any alternate options?”)
An funding alternative ($500,000+) for a building venture in Russia, with an ROI of 20% every year (2-5 years)
An funding alternative ($500,000; ROI: double in two years) in an residence advanced venture. Apparently the person couldn’t get a mortgage from the financial institution, so that they turned to a cybercrime discussion board (“I don’t care about coloration [i.e., if the money is from ‘white’, ‘grey’, or ‘black’ activities], I can begin it up and get it out fantastically”).
Determine 29: A menace actor seeks funding of $500,000 for “the development of an residence advanced”
Eating places and catering
Eating places
We noticed a number of proposals and pre-existing companies regarding eating places, together with a proposal to begin a meals supply enterprise in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. One person (considerably sarcastically, given their membership of a prison discussion board), famous that “it’s a query of inner ethics whether or not to earn cash from an epidemic.”
Determine 30: A menace actor proposes beginning a meals supply enterprise in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, and seeks enterprise recommendation from their friends
We additionally noticed an funding alternative in a pre-existing catering/pizza supply enterprise with an annual income of 5,000,000 rubles. The funding sought was between 300,000 – 2,000,000 rubles, to open a second retailer.
Determine 31: A menace actor seeks “an investor or enterprise companion” in a pre-existing and “utterly white” pizza supply firm
Alcohol
A menace actor was involved in buying another person’s alcohol enterprise. They talked about a value, famous that the enterprise had a license and the related documentation, and requested for recommendation on acquisitions from different customers.
Determine 32: A menace actor asks their friends to explain the potential “pitfalls” of buying an alcohol enterprise
On one other thread, we noticed a person recommend investing in a barrel of whisky after which promoting it for revenue.
Ice cream wars
Of all issues, we famous a menace actor who wished to launch an ice cream enterprise. They requested others whether or not it could be possible to open a stall with 200,000 rubles.
Determine 33: A menace actor proposes opening an ice cream stall
In the identical thread, one other person, apparently an ice cream enterprise proprietor themselves (“the grasp of the ice cream enterprise”) confessed to having dedicated arson towards a competitor’s ice cream kiosk within the early 2000s (now that “the statute of limitations…has already handed”). They offered detailed details about what occurred and the way they did it (“a crowbar, a plastic bottle with gasoline, a wick on an extension wire, matches… I observed a vertical hole pipe protruding on the roof [of the kiosk]… I poured the entire bottle into it, stuffed a wick soaked in gasoline, and set it on fireplace… at about ten o’clock the service provider himself arrived with a crane. They loaded the stall onto a truck and I by no means noticed that enterprise or that stall once more”).
Training
Coding faculty
A menace actor who “labored on logs for a very long time, amassed capital” (i.e., they profited from infostealers) had an concept to open “a programmer faculty within the path of internet growth,” aimed toward 16-year-olds. The person famous that there’s little competitors and “no in-person faculties in my million-plus inhabitants”, and proposed charging college students 400 rubles per tutorial hour.
Determine 34: A menace actor proposes establishing a “programmer faculty” aimed toward “schoolchildren 16+ years previous,” with capital they acquired from “work[ing] on logs for a very long time”
On-line programs
A person requested for recommendation on methods to promote video programs, info merchandise, webinars, seminars, teaching, coaching, something, and asks for funding of “not more than 1000 rubles.” That is probably associated to some type of visitors era exercise (see Half Three of this sequence).
Tobacco and vaping
Tobacco merchandise
One menace actor was involved in promoting tobacco merchandise. Customers commented that the market is dominated by suppliers in Ukraine and Belarus, and steered vapes (“buying them in China from a provider prices 45-100 rubles”). One other person talked about that they’ve a vendor for counterfeit cigarettes, however just for supply inside Russia.
E-liquid (and an argument)
A menace actor famous that for the final two years they’ve been promoting e-liquid to schoolchildren, making 100-200 Euros monthly. One other person (and do not forget that that is on a prison discussion board) expressed outrage: “I’m studying this as a father or mother…don’t you fucking have youngsters?”).
Entertainingly, the 2 menace actors started to argue (“Within the shops there’s alcohol, cigarettes…possibly you must go to the mommies’ discussion board?”; “LEAVE YOUR ADDRESS…WE’LL COME NOW, WHEREVER YOU ARE”; “I don’t give a fuck about different folks’s youngsters”, and so on.).
One other menace actor famous: “I’m laughing…[they] got here up with a enterprise that could be a hundred years previous and which brings in as a lot as 200 euros a month!”
Determine 35: A menace actor describes a scheme for promoting e-liquid to schoolchildren, which sparked an argument
Shopping for and promoting debt
A menace actor determined to become involved in chapter auctions, to purchase land plots, homes, equipment, and tools.
Determine 36: A menace actor decides to become involved in chapter auctions, and asks their friends for “hyperlinks to bidding aggregators or possibly somebody might need some helpful video programs”
One other opened a dialogue on shopping for and promoting debt, noting that “Tinkov Financial institution [a Russian commercial bank] accepts money owed as licensed capital when opening an LLC by them.”
Movies
We noticed a proposal to speculate money in a film with a “legit ROI with affordable phrases.”
Determine 37: A menace actor seeks funding in a film
Charities and NGOs
Establishing an LLC
A person requested for OPSEC help in creating an LLC. They proposed a scheme:
- Open an account utilizing a deceased or aged individual’s particulars
- File a church underneath a distinct title in New Mexico
- File the LLC underneath the title of the church
- Make weekly deposits within the checking account
- Conduct their “operation”
- Use “slot apps” to clean the earnings, or ship themselves the cash to the church as tithes.
Different customers offered particular ideas, together with submitting the LLC’s articles of formation with the right company in New Mexico, checking methods to file an LLC for a church, and submitting for 501(c)(3) standing to acquire tax exemption. In addition they really useful “staying legally compliant.”
Determine 38: A menace actor seeks OPSEC recommendation for creating an LLC underneath the title of a church in New Mexico. Notice that whereas establishing an LLC is after all not unlawful in itself, the proposed scheme right here seems to be explicitly prison (be aware the said purpose to “wash the cash”)
Determine 39: In the identical thread, one other person offers particular technical suggestions on the proposed scheme
‘Massive nameless contributions’
We famous an enquiry from a person (presumably a launderer) on jurisdictions that permit non-profits, charities, or NGOs to “settle for huge nameless contributions…I have to arrange a charity, NGO or non-profit for a consumer whose money companies are at their restrict.” Responses included recommendation to “follow US entities…for those who reside in California and also you accumulate a cheque from a non-profit in Guinea-Bissau, that could be a main crimson flag…you may simply open LLCs, S-Corps, even 501(c)(3) non-profits with out your title or workplace ever touching the registry; there are a whole lot of regulation companies completely happy that can assist you with this.”
Additional particular recommendation on privateness, different crimson flags, non-profit govt salaries, donation caps, and promotional exercise adopted.
Determine 40: A person offers technical recommendation on establishing a non-profit for cash laundering
Different schemes
We additionally famous a wide selection of different pre-existing companies, funding proposals, and concepts for start-ups, together with, however not restricted to:
- A taxi service
- A relationship website
- Rising microgreens
- Motocross
- Meals vehicles
- Cash laundering utilizing Steam, TikTok, and Fiverr
- Promoting luxurious watches
- A magnificence salon
- A tattoo parlor
- Reselling protecting masks and hand sanitizer (in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic)
- A prepper/survivalist retailer
- website positioning for plumbers, contractors, and so on.
- Wholesale and retail of honey
- Manufacturing gazebos and furnishings
- Drive-through espresso retailers
- Picture cubicles
- Thermal inspection of homes
- A slingshot taking pictures vary
- Inside design
- Aerial pictures
- Laundry companies
- Rising crickets for pet shops
- Reselling sneakers
- An escrow service
- A on line casino
- An Arabic restaurant in Moscow
- Bizarrely, promoting Soviet-era fuel masks on eBay and Amazon
Determine 41: A number of customers contribute to a dialogue on concepts for companies as fronts for cash laundering
Determine 42: A menace actor suggests reselling protecting masks and hand sanitizer on the top of the COVID-19 pandemic
Determine 43: A menace actor sketches out a number of ‘official’ enterprise concepts, together with “a slingshot taking pictures vary,” “inside design,” “drones (aerial pictures),” “cleansing and portray of alloy wheels,” and “rising crickets for pet shops”
We additionally noticed a suggestion {that a} group of customers ought to ‘membership collectively’ to begin a “white enterprise” equivalent to e-commerce, or purchase an current enterprise.
All in all, menace actors are discussing, investing in, and working a bewildering array of so-called ‘official’ companies on prison boards. This has some regarding implications typically, but in addition particularly for the safety business. For instance, menace actors holding shares in a cybersecurity vendor, or working internet hosting and proxy companies, may adversely affect belief, privateness, and makes an attempt to trace and disrupt cybercrime.
Nonetheless, as we’ll talk about later on this sequence, these challenges are additionally accompanied by alternatives. In lots of discussions, for instance, menace actors reveal one thing about themselves – whether or not that’s particular, identifiable, biographical info, or places, or different info that might be helpful to investigators.
Earlier than that, in Half Three of this sequence, we’ll discover a few of the extra doubtful enterprise pursuits we discovered throughout our investigation.
