US Secret Service discovers SIM card farm near the UN in NYC

The United States Secret Service has announced the dismantling of a network of electronic devices in multiple locations across New York, which was reportedly used to conduct telecommunications-related threats against senior government officials. The agency indicated that these threats posed an imminent risk to its protective operations. While the specific officials targeted were not disclosed, early analysis suggested cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals known to law enforcement. The Secret Service refrained from naming the nation-state believed to be behind these threats.

Approximately 300 co-located Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) servers were discovered, along with 100,000 SIM cards, across various sites. The agency noted that these SIM boxes were concentrated within 56 kilometres of the United Nations General Assembly, which is currently taking place in New York City. Secret Service Director Sean Curran emphasised the significant potential for disruption to the nation’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices. SIM boxes function as gateway devices that route voice calls and text messages via Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services, making communications appear local. They are often exploited by fraudsters for various malicious purposes, including bypassing international calling rates and hiding caller IDs.