- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45346343

- https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45345514

- https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/09/us-s...

> “While forensic examination of these devices is ongoing, early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement.”

https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/09/us-s...

1. Sim box operators were running multiple locations for sending spam texts, cheap VoIP for scams, and potentially other phone-related crimes. 2. Operators were associated with other criminal gangs. Maybe directly, maybe indirectly. Someone may have been running a drug side-business from a location. 3. Someone uses this sim box operation to send threatening scam messages that happen to reach these government officials. For whatever reason, they take it seriously. 4. Now that the feds and NYPD have raided this sim box operation, they have to justify why they were doing this. It's probably not directly illegal to run a sim box farm so they are going to play up the threat a bit to get more coverage of the investigation.

I can assure you, a lot more dangerous criminal activity happened within a 35 mile radius of the UN than some zombie cell phones sending scam texts. While I applaud anyone shutting down scams, the window dressing is embarrassing. Someone has watched too much Blacklist or any of those fantastical police procedurals.