Joseph Cox

Joseph Cox

Joseph is an award-winning investigative journalist focused on generating impact. His work has triggered hundreds of millions of dollars worth of fines, shut down tech companies, and much more.
55 posts
Podcast: How AI-Powered Cameras Took Over One Small American Town
Podcast

Podcast: How AI-Powered Cameras Took Over One Small American Town

In this week's episode, we talk Fusus AI-powered surveillance cameras, how people lost their vision (literally) at an NFT conference, and how scammers are using malicious insiders at Walmart to conduct refund fraud.
How a 'Refund Fraud' Gang Stole $700,000 From Amazon
News

How a 'Refund Fraud' Gang Stole $700,000 From Amazon

Court records and online research reveal how a highly professionalized industry uses malicious insiders at Walmart and fake shipping labels to get high-end items for practically free.
'Untouchable': Associates React to Arrest of Drug Trafficker Turned 'Encryption King'
News

'Untouchable': Associates React to Arrest of Drug Trafficker Turned 'Encryption King'

Hakan Ayik, who unknowingly popularized the FBI's backdoored encrypted phone called Anom, has been a most wanted criminal for years. Finally authorities arrested him last week.
AI Cameras Took Over One Small American Town. Now They're Everywhere
FOIA

AI Cameras Took Over One Small American Town. Now They're Everywhere

Hundreds of documents obtained by 404 Media show how Fusus, a system for linking a town’s security cameras into one central hub and adding AI to them, has spread across the country.
Podcast: We're shaking it up with a new format
Podcast

Podcast: We're shaking it up with a new format

We're introducing a subscribers-only segment to the weekly podcast, where we talk about even more stuff we've published.
Instagram Removes Account That Unmasked ‘Jew Haters’
News

Instagram Removes Account That Unmasked ‘Jew Haters’

For the last several days, an Instagram account has been unmasking people it claimed were “jew haters,” many of whom appeared to pull down posters showing Hamas’ kidnapping victims.
SIM Swappers Are Working Directly with Ransomware Gangs Now
News

SIM Swappers Are Working Directly with Ransomware Gangs Now

Hackers connected to “the Comm,” a nebulous group that includes SIM swappers, are working with ALPHV, a ransomware group that has impacted some of the biggest companies on the planet, including MGM Casinos.
The Truth Behind ‘GiantCockNYC’
News

The Truth Behind ‘GiantCockNYC’

Someone on Grindr presented themselves as an employee that could remove blocks on the platform. That’s probably not the case, but the activity still hints at a moderation problem.
Podcast: OSINT, Twitter, and a $30 Million Bitcoin Ring
Podcast

Podcast: OSINT, Twitter, and a $30 Million Bitcoin Ring

In this week's episode we talk about how Instagram is very, very sorry it auto-translated sentences containing "Palestinian" to add "terrorist." We also talk about the downward trend of OSINT on Twitter, and how the FBI cracked an alleged $30 million cash-for-Bitcoin ring.
Inside ICE’s Database for Finding ‘Derogatory’ Online Speech
FOIA

Inside ICE’s Database for Finding ‘Derogatory’ Online Speech

Thumbs up, or thumbs down: that's the option presented to analysts when the tool Giant Oak Search Technology surfaces content from social media and other sources for ICE to scrutinize.
Inside a $30 Million Cash-for-Bitcoin Laundering Ring in the Heart of New York
News

Inside a $30 Million Cash-for-Bitcoin Laundering Ring in the Heart of New York

Court records provide rare insight into an alleged IRL criminal Bitcoin exchange involving men dropping massive bags of cash to one another.
Hackers Target Company That Vets Police Data Requests for Tech Giants
News

Hackers Target Company That Vets Police Data Requests for Tech Giants

Kodex acts as a buffer between law enforcement and tech giants to verify requests for customer data. Now hackers have pivoted to Kodex as a target in its own right. Screenshots show Meta, LinkedIn, Discord, Snapchat, Roblox, and more on a request creation dashboard.