That Secret Service SIM Farm Story is Bogus Overview The Secret Service recently claimed they thwarted a significant national security threat involving large-scale SIM farms used for nefarious purposes. Major news outlets, including the New York Times, repeated this without scrutiny. However, the story is misleading; what was discovered is a normal criminal SIM farm operation, not a groundbreaking espionage or national security threat. Key Points Nature of the SIM Farm: The SIM farm consists of banks of thousands of SIM cards and baseband radios used mainly for sending spam SMS or forwarding international calls. It could be a legitimate enterprise serving as a gateway between VoIP providers and cellular networks. These SIM farms mask the origin of messages, making tracking difficult. Secret Service Investigation: Originated from threats sent to politicians via SMS. The Secret Service traced these using radio triangulation, leading them to the SIM farm. Despite hyping the story as a national security threat, evidence suggests it's a common criminal operation. Media and Expert Analysis: NYTimes cited anonymous officials, which the author criticizes as propaganda rather than credible journalism. NYTimes frequently quotes certain "experts" like James A. Lewis and Anthony Ferrante, who offer claims with little factual basis. Lewis suggested only a few countries could run such operations, which is false; the author states individuals can establish these SIM farms with moderate capital. Ferrante’s claims about espionage and eavesdropping misuse the facts; SIM farms do not facilitate eavesdropping. Technical Clarifications: Modern smartphones have one or two SIMs; SIM farms use Linux-based computers with multiple baseband radios and SIMs cycling through accounts. SIM cards are often prepaid and purchased in bulk, sometimes resembling typical consumer SIMs. SIM farm operations aim to appear as normal users to evade detection by telecom providers. Impact on Cellular Networks: Criminal SIM farms occasionally crash or overload cell towers, but this is a known criminal nuisance, not a catastrophic security threat. There are thousands of towers in large cities; a few affected towers won’t significantly impact services. If a foreign entity wanted to disrupt networks, they have easier methods than using SIM farms. Conclusion The Secret Service and media narratives exaggerate a common criminal activity, framing it as a novel espionage and national security threat without evidence. This hype serves government agendas rather than providing truthful information. The discovered SIM farm is a typical operation used by criminals for SMS spam and call forwarding, occasionally causing disruption but not posing the profound threat claimed. Additional Notes Visuals illustrate the SIM farm's location close to the UN building and diagrams related to the operation. Commenters on the post agree with the author's skepticism over official accounts and media portrayal. --- Author: Robert Graham, Cybersect, Sep 23, 2025