Elon Musk’s 19-year-old DOGE team member may have had links to cybercriminal group

A member of Elon Musk's US DOGE Service team, Edward Coristine, has provided support to a cybercrime gang, a report claims. According to a report by Reuters, digital records reviewed by the news agency show that the gang was behind trafficking stolen data and cyberstalking an FBI agent. It's important to note that 19-year-old Coristine is a prominent member of the DOGE team that has been granted access to official networks to downsize the US government. The report claims that in 2022, while Coristine was in high school, he ran a company called DiamondCDN that provided network services. Among DiamondCDN's users was a website run by the cybercriminal ring “EGodly” that trafficked stolen data and cyberstalked an FBI agent, the report claimed citing reviewed digital records which are also preserved by DomainTools and Any.Run and interviews with former associates.

In February 2023, EGodly shared a Telegram post to thank DiamondCDN, the report added. It also acknowledged DiamondCDN’s provision of DDoS protection and caching systems that enhanced the security of the company’s website.
"We extend our gratitude to our valued partners DiamondCDN for generously providing us with their amazing DDoS protection and caching systems, which allow us to securely host and safeguard our website," the message noted (as seen by Reuters).
As per the report, EGodly's Telegram channel has been inactive for over a year and attempts to contact eight individuals associated with the group have been unsuccessful.
The report also revealed that from October 2022 to June 2023, the EGodly website, dataleak.fun, was connected to IP addresses registered to DiamondCDN and other entities owned by Coristine. Furthermore, during that period, some users attempting to visit the site encountered a DiamondCDN "Security check."
However, the report was unable to determine the extent of EGodly's association with DiamondCDN or whether payments were made to Coristine’s company.
In 2023, EGodly flaunted its cybercriminal exploits on Telegram, claiming to hijack phone numbers, breach law enforcement email accounts across Latin America and Eastern Europe, and steal cryptocurrency.
The group also leaked personal details of an FBI agent investigating them, along with an obscene prank call recording and a video from Wilmington, Delaware. While the report could not verify all of EGodly's claims, it confirmed the video’s authenticity by comparing the location.
The FBI agent, now retired, indicated that the group’s actions, including swatting incidents, have attracted significant law enforcement attention.