Linguistic mechanisms of knowledge-exchange in a dark-web money laundering forum

Linguistic Mechanisms of Knowledge Exchange in a Dark-Web Money Laundering Forum

Understanding Money Laundering Through Linguistic Analysis

Money laundering is a critical issue that facilitates serious crimes, enables criminal enterprises to expand, and destabilizes financial systems and economies worldwide. Despite extensive research into anti-money laundering (AML) strategies and legislation, there remains limited focus on the language and behaviors of individuals directly involved in money laundering activities. Dark-web forums provide a unique environment where illicit knowledge exchange occurs anonymously, serving as hotspots for criminal learning and collaboration. This article explores the linguistic mechanisms used in one such dark-web forum, known as Laundromat, dedicated to discussions on money laundering.

The Dark-Web Forum Laundromat as a Community of Practice

The Laundromat forum, hosted within the larger Dread platform, operates like a Reddit-style space for users interested in money laundering. The forum enforces strict rules to maintain focus on relevant topics, prohibits promotional content, and encourages civility and real-life experience sharing. With nearly 1,850 active users at the time of data collection, the forum represents a self-organizing community of practice where members engage in learning about money laundering through peer-to-peer knowledge exchange.

The community’s strict adherence to rules, combined with its knowledgeable user base and culture of friendliness and reciprocity, creates an efficient environment for criminal upskilling. These characteristics enable newcomers to gain foundational knowledge while allowing experienced members to refine sophisticated laundering techniques.

Key Discussion Topics: Finance, Cryptocurrencies, and Methods

Analysis of forum posts reveals that discussions center primarily on financial mechanisms related to money laundering. Key topics include the use of cash, bank accounts, and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR). Notably, Monero — a cryptocurrency designed for untraceable transactions — appears frequently, highlighting users’ emphasis on security and anonymity.

Discussions also focus heavily on laundering methods, fraud techniques, operational security (opsec), legitimacy of vendors or funds, and navigating online platforms like cryptocurrency exchanges and darknet markets. The frequent use of verbs related to actions (e.g., do, get, use, make, buy) underscores the forum’s practical orientation toward sharing how-to knowledge.

Bastian Schwind-Wagner_Follow "This study reveals how dark-web forums serve as effective platforms for exchanging knowledge about money laundering through specific linguistic practices. The community’s strict rules, expert user base, and culture of mutual support foster an environment conducive to criminal learning and skill development."

Linguistic Practices: Information-Giving and Information-Seeking

The linguistic analysis identified two dominant discursive practices: giving information/advice and seeking information/advice. Members commonly use multi-word expressions (5-grams) that serve as linguistic tools to conduct these practices efficiently.

When giving information, users often express advice with varying degrees of certainty. For example, phrases like “you don’t need to” or “as far as I know” are used to offer guidance while hedging certainty to mitigate mistakes or disagreements. Explicit offers of help are frequent, often inviting private messages for further assistance, which demonstrates the cooperative nature of the community.

Information-seeking posts typically involve direct questions about the best methods for laundering money or handling cryptocurrencies. Users often qualify their questions by indicating preferences or uncertainties, e.g., “I don’t want to” or “I don’t know how,” which not only elicit help but also signal their level of competence to others.

The linguistic constructions reflect a goal-oriented conversation style focused on practical problem-solving rather than moral debates or emotional support.

Implications: A Productive Criminal Learning Environment

The study shows that Laundromat serves as a powerful learning platform where knowledge about money laundering is exchanged openly and efficiently. Unlike some other criminal communities that engage in socializing or moral justification, this forum maintains a transactional focus on sharing expertise and tactics.

Three factors contribute to the success of this knowledge exchange:

• adherence to clear forum rules that prevent off-topic or promotional content;
• a user base with diverse expertise who are transparent about knowledge limits; and
• a culture that encourages mutual aid and openness.

This environment supports both novice users seeking foundational knowledge and experienced offenders looking to refine their skills. The findings underscore the role of dark-web forums as enablers of criminal upskilling, facilitating ongoing illicit activity by providing accessible learning resources.

Conclusion

This linguistic study of a dark-web money laundering forum reveals how language functions as a tool for knowledge exchange within criminal communities. By focusing on practical advice and information-sharing within a tightly regulated online space, Laundromat exemplifies how such forums contribute to sustaining and advancing money laundering activities. Understanding these linguistic mechanisms offers valuable insights for law enforcement and policymakers aiming to disrupt these illicit networks.

Dive deeper

• Research ¦ Chiang E (2025) Linguistic mechanisms of knowledge-exchange in a dark-web money laundering forum. PLoS One 20(8): e0329777. ¦ Link