Andy Greenberg
@agreenberg.bsky.social
Writer for WIRED. Author of SANDWORM. Latest book, TRACERS IN THE DARK: The Global Hunt for the Crime Lords of Cryptocurrency, out now. [email protected]. Andy.01 on Signal.
Pinned
He Leaked the Secrets of a Southeast Asian Scam Compound. Then He Had to Get Out Alive
A source trapped inside an industrial-scale scamming operation contacted me, determined to expose his captors’ crimes—and then escape. This is his story.
www.wired.com
Last year, a human trafficking victim trapped in a crypto scam compound in the Golden Triangle region of Laos contacted me. He then proceeded to leak to me a huge collection of the compound's internal materials.
Then he had to get out alive. This is his story.
🧵👇 www.wired.com/story/he-lea...
Then he had to get out alive. This is his story.
🧵👇 www.wired.com/story/he-lea...
Thank you Runa...I think there's ongoing debate though as to whether it was actually Sandworm (GRU) in this case or the FSB group known as Berserk Bear or Dragonfly.
(That group does get a mention in the book as well...they've been deeply penetrating US power grid networks for years.)
(That group does get a mention in the book as well...they've been deeply penetrating US power grid networks for years.)
February 9, 2026 at 9:48 PM
Thank you Runa...I think there's ongoing debate though as to whether it was actually Sandworm (GRU) in this case or the FSB group known as Berserk Bear or Dragonfly.
(That group does get a mention in the book as well...they've been deeply penetrating US power grid networks for years.)
(That group does get a mention in the book as well...they've been deeply penetrating US power grid networks for years.)
Reposted by Andy Greenberg
A couple fascinating things I learned reporting this:
1. Much of the plant life on the field was people in costume.
2. The finale required 9,852 theatrical pyrotechnics.
3. That was a real couple that got married during the Lady Gaga number.
So many more details here in the piece. Go read!
1. Much of the plant life on the field was people in costume.
2. The finale required 9,852 theatrical pyrotechnics.
3. That was a real couple that got married during the Lady Gaga number.
So many more details here in the piece. Go read!
That Super Bowl halftime show was beyond incredible, and fun. Here’s the story of how it came together, complete with beautiful photos from @d-jacks.bsky.social.
www.wired.com/story/bad-bu...
www.wired.com/story/bad-bu...
Inside Bad Bunny’s Historic Super Bowl Halftime Show
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance required 9,852 theatrical pyrotechnics, nearly 400 costumed extras, and a lot of ingenuity. And yes, that was a real couple featured in the wedding.
www.wired.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:05 AM
A couple fascinating things I learned reporting this:
1. Much of the plant life on the field was people in costume.
2. The finale required 9,852 theatrical pyrotechnics.
3. That was a real couple that got married during the Lady Gaga number.
So many more details here in the piece. Go read!
1. Much of the plant life on the field was people in costume.
2. The finale required 9,852 theatrical pyrotechnics.
3. That was a real couple that got married during the Lady Gaga number.
So many more details here in the piece. Go read!
Reminder that the Washington Post lost 250,000 subscribers, more than most outlets will ever have, after its decision not to publish an endorsement in the last election. www.npr.org/2024/10/29/n...
That kind of cowardice, not AI or whatever, is what's "drastically reshaping" readers' expectations.
That kind of cowardice, not AI or whatever, is what's "drastically reshaping" readers' expectations.
February 4, 2026 at 6:41 PM
Reminder that the Washington Post lost 250,000 subscribers, more than most outlets will ever have, after its decision not to publish an endorsement in the last election. www.npr.org/2024/10/29/n...
That kind of cowardice, not AI or whatever, is what's "drastically reshaping" readers' expectations.
That kind of cowardice, not AI or whatever, is what's "drastically reshaping" readers' expectations.
This is such a travesty, I'm sorry. You'll do great work elsewhere but infuriating this has happened to you and tragic to see WP self-immolate and lose so many of its best reporters.
February 4, 2026 at 5:34 PM
This is such a travesty, I'm sorry. You'll do great work elsewhere but infuriating this has happened to you and tragic to see WP self-immolate and lose so many of its best reporters.
thank you Nadim, but I think the best we can realistically hope for is the FIFA journalism prize
February 4, 2026 at 3:10 PM
thank you Nadim, but I think the best we can realistically hope for is the FIFA journalism prize
Senator Maggie Hassan has responded to our story about Bondu’s lack of security around kids’ AI toy chat transcripts by sending a letter to the company asking 10 detailed questions about its privacy practices. She calls its exposure of kids’ data “devastating.” www.jec.senate.gov/public/_cach...
February 3, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Senator Maggie Hassan has responded to our story about Bondu’s lack of security around kids’ AI toy chat transcripts by sending a letter to the company asking 10 detailed questions about its privacy practices. She calls its exposure of kids’ data “devastating.” www.jec.senate.gov/public/_cach...
Here's our 25-min video news-documentary version of the story of Red Bull, the whistleblower who leaked me the secrets of a crypto scam compound while trapped as a forced laborer inside it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOcN...
Hope you'll watch and consider the immense scale of this global crisis.
Hope you'll watch and consider the immense scale of this global crisis.
February 2, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Here's our 25-min video news-documentary version of the story of Red Bull, the whistleblower who leaked me the secrets of a crypto scam compound while trapped as a forced laborer inside it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOcN...
Hope you'll watch and consider the immense scale of this global crisis.
Hope you'll watch and consider the immense scale of this global crisis.
Reposted by Andy Greenberg
NEW: The @wired.com Security desk put together a comprehensive guide to filming ICE—with tips for reducing risk at the forefront. No paywall, but please consider subscribing to help find these kinds of resources. And stay safe out there. www.wired.com/story/how-to...
www.wired.com/v2/offers/wi...
www.wired.com/v2/offers/wi...
How to Film ICE
Filming federal agents in public is legal, but avoiding a dangerous—even deadly—confrontation isn’t guaranteed. Here’s how to record ICE and CBP agents as safely as possible and have an impact.
www.wired.com
January 31, 2026 at 10:55 AM
NEW: The @wired.com Security desk put together a comprehensive guide to filming ICE—with tips for reducing risk at the forefront. No paywall, but please consider subscribing to help find these kinds of resources. And stay safe out there. www.wired.com/story/how-to...
www.wired.com/v2/offers/wi...
www.wired.com/v2/offers/wi...
For those who read our piece about crypto scam compound whistleblower Red Bull, I've verified that this is his real Bluesky account below.
Thank for your incredible courage and all your work to achieve justice, @mohammadmuzahir02.bsky.social.
Thank for your incredible courage and all your work to achieve justice, @mohammadmuzahir02.bsky.social.
This wasn’t easy to share, but it mattered.
Thanks to WIRED for documenting what I witnessed.
It shows what’s happening behind online scam operations.
Thanks to WIRED for documenting what I witnessed.
It shows what’s happening behind online scam operations.
Last year, a human trafficking victim trapped in a crypto scam compound in the Golden Triangle region of Laos contacted me. He then proceeded to leak to me a huge collection of the compound's internal materials.
Then he had to get out alive. This is his story.
🧵👇 www.wired.com/story/he-lea...
Then he had to get out alive. This is his story.
🧵👇 www.wired.com/story/he-lea...
January 30, 2026 at 2:07 PM
For those who read our piece about crypto scam compound whistleblower Red Bull, I've verified that this is his real Bluesky account below.
Thank for your incredible courage and all your work to achieve justice, @mohammadmuzahir02.bsky.social.
Thank for your incredible courage and all your work to achieve justice, @mohammadmuzahir02.bsky.social.
Reposted by Andy Greenberg
The AI-chat-enabled stuffed toy Bondu invites little kids to have intimate conversations with it, like an LLM imaginary friend. It also exposed virtually all their chats on a web interface with no security. Anyone with a Gmail account could log in and read transcripts. www.wired.com/story/an-ai-...
An AI Toy Exposed 50,000 Logs of Its Chats With Kids to Anyone With a Gmail Account
AI chat toy company Bondu left its web console almost entirely unprotected. Researchers who accessed it found nearly all the conversations children had had with the company's stuffed animals.
www.wired.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:02 PM
The AI-chat-enabled stuffed toy Bondu invites little kids to have intimate conversations with it, like an LLM imaginary friend. It also exposed virtually all their chats on a web interface with no security. Anyone with a Gmail account could log in and read transcripts. www.wired.com/story/an-ai-...
The AI-chat-enabled stuffed toy Bondu invites little kids to have intimate conversations with it, like an LLM imaginary friend. It also exposed virtually all their chats on a web interface with no security. Anyone with a Gmail account could log in and read transcripts. www.wired.com/story/an-ai-...
An AI Toy Exposed 50,000 Logs of Its Chats With Kids to Anyone With a Gmail Account
AI chat toy company Bondu left its web console almost entirely unprotected. Researchers who accessed it found nearly all the conversations children had had with the company's stuffed animals.
www.wired.com
January 29, 2026 at 5:02 PM
The AI-chat-enabled stuffed toy Bondu invites little kids to have intimate conversations with it, like an LLM imaginary friend. It also exposed virtually all their chats on a web interface with no security. Anyone with a Gmail account could log in and read transcripts. www.wired.com/story/an-ai-...
A greenbergian banger sounds like some kind of jewish Roald Dahl monster but I'll take the compliment, thank you Patrick
January 29, 2026 at 2:26 PM
A greenbergian banger sounds like some kind of jewish Roald Dahl monster but I'll take the compliment, thank you Patrick
Reposted by Andy Greenberg
A lot is happening right now. Hope you'll still take a moment to read WIRED's story of Red Bull's incredible work as a whistleblower, our analysis of the evidence he shared, the details of his ordeal inside a modern slavery operation, and how he finally got home. /end www.wired.com/story/he-lea...
He Leaked the Secrets of a Southeast Asian Scam Compound. Then He Had to Get Out Alive
A source trapped inside an industrial-scale scamming operation contacted me, determined to expose his captors’ crimes—and then escape. This is his story.
www.wired.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:15 PM
A lot is happening right now. Hope you'll still take a moment to read WIRED's story of Red Bull's incredible work as a whistleblower, our analysis of the evidence he shared, the details of his ordeal inside a modern slavery operation, and how he finally got home. /end www.wired.com/story/he-lea...
Reposted by Andy Greenberg
Red Bull's leaks to me were never detected. But when he tried to escape, this story became a nightmare. He was caught by his bosses, beaten, kicked, drugged and then starved for weeks. Only when the compound had to move to evade an impending police raid would he seize an opportunity to get free.
January 27, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Red Bull's leaks to me were never detected. But when he tried to escape, this story became a nightmare. He was caught by his bosses, beaten, kicked, drugged and then starved for weeks. Only when the compound had to move to evade an impending police raid would he seize an opportunity to get free.
Reposted by Andy Greenberg
Red Bull later shared hours of screenrecordings as he scrolled through the compound's internal WhatsApp groups. We at WIRED converted the videos into 4,200 pages of screenshotted chats that reveal the daily operations of a scam compound at a level never seen before. www.wired.com/story/the-re...
Revealed: Leaked Chats Expose the Daily Life of a Scam Compound’s Enslaved Workforce
A whistleblower trapped inside a “pig butchering” scam compound gave WIRED a vast trove of its internal materials—including 4,200 pages of messages that lay out its operations in unprecedented detail.
www.wired.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Red Bull later shared hours of screenrecordings as he scrolled through the compound's internal WhatsApp groups. We at WIRED converted the videos into 4,200 pages of screenshotted chats that reveal the daily operations of a scam compound at a level never seen before. www.wired.com/story/the-re...
Reposted by Andy Greenberg
Red Bull was determined to expose everything he could about his captors: their scamming systems, scripts, guides, org chart, photos, even videos he secretly recorded. This clip inside the office shows colored flags on teams of workers' desks, connoting whether they met their scam quotas that month.
January 27, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Red Bull was determined to expose everything he could about his captors: their scamming systems, scripts, guides, org chart, photos, even videos he secretly recorded. This clip inside the office shows colored flags on teams of workers' desks, connoting whether they met their scam quotas that month.
Reposted by Andy Greenberg
Crypto romance scams are the most lucrative form of cybercrime in the world today, stealing tens of billions of dollars a year from victims. But the scammers, workers enslaved in Chinese-mafia-run compounds, are victims too.
My new source was one of them. He asked me to call him Red Bull.
My new source was one of them. He asked me to call him Red Bull.
January 27, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Crypto romance scams are the most lucrative form of cybercrime in the world today, stealing tens of billions of dollars a year from victims. But the scammers, workers enslaved in Chinese-mafia-run compounds, are victims too.
My new source was one of them. He asked me to call him Red Bull.
My new source was one of them. He asked me to call him Red Bull.
Reposted by Andy Greenberg
Last year, a human trafficking victim trapped in a crypto scam compound in the Golden Triangle region of Laos contacted me. He then proceeded to leak to me a huge collection of the compound's internal materials.
Then he had to get out alive. This is his story.
🧵👇 www.wired.com/story/he-lea...
Then he had to get out alive. This is his story.
🧵👇 www.wired.com/story/he-lea...
He Leaked the Secrets of a Southeast Asian Scam Compound. Then He Had to Get Out Alive
A source trapped inside an industrial-scale scamming operation contacted me, determined to expose his captors’ crimes—and then escape. This is his story.
www.wired.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:15 PM
Last year, a human trafficking victim trapped in a crypto scam compound in the Golden Triangle region of Laos contacted me. He then proceeded to leak to me a huge collection of the compound's internal materials.
Then he had to get out alive. This is his story.
🧵👇 www.wired.com/story/he-lea...
Then he had to get out alive. This is his story.
🧵👇 www.wired.com/story/he-lea...
and Dune references
January 28, 2026 at 9:27 PM
and Dune references
Reposted by Andy Greenberg
NEW: The firm behind the Mobile Fortify app, which ICE and CBP use for running facial recognition scans on the public, was revealed today to be NEC, according to DHS docs reviewed by @wired.com. NEC makes its of face rec platform called Reveal. @regret.bsky.social & @dell.bsky.social with the scoop:
Here's the Company That Sold DHS ICE's Notorious Face Recognition App
Immigration agents have used Mobile Fortify to scan the faces of countless people in the US—including many citizens.
www.wired.com
January 28, 2026 at 8:22 PM
NEW: The firm behind the Mobile Fortify app, which ICE and CBP use for running facial recognition scans on the public, was revealed today to be NEC, according to DHS docs reviewed by @wired.com. NEC makes its of face rec platform called Reveal. @regret.bsky.social & @dell.bsky.social with the scoop:
Thank you for saying so!
January 28, 2026 at 7:10 PM
Thank you for saying so!
Thank you! Probably the most harrowing story I’ve ever been involved in
January 28, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Thank you! Probably the most harrowing story I’ve ever been involved in
Thank you Jaina!!
January 28, 2026 at 7:05 PM
Thank you Jaina!!
Thank you Kashmir…it was definitely a crash course for me.
January 28, 2026 at 7:05 PM
Thank you Kashmir…it was definitely a crash course for me.