Planet Money
How the FBI's fake cell phone company put criminals into real jail cells
May 31, 2024
Journalist Joseph Cox, author of 'Dark Wire,' dives into the FBI's audacious operation with a fake cell phone company aimed at criminals. He details how law enforcement turned the tables on encrypted messaging by creating Anom, a phone disguised as a calculator app. The fascinating negotiation with the CEO of Phantom Secure shows the intricate dance of crime and tech. Cox uncovers the complexities of the FBI's unprecedented venture into bringing down criminal networks and the lasting impact of this bold digital sting.
23:59
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Quick takeaways
- The FBI's creation of Anam phones demonstrated the use of innovative marketing strategies to infiltrate the criminal underworld.
- The collaborative takedown of Anam highlighted the challenges and successes in disrupting organized crime through encrypted communication interception.
Deep dives
The Creation of Anam and Its Features
The podcast discusses the unique story of Andrew Young's venture into the tech world. In a hotel room in Las Vegas, Andrew, a former federal prosecutor, confronted the CEO of Phantom Secure, a company supplying encrypted phones to criminals. Instead of arresting him, they negotiated a deal for access to the company's servers, kicking off the creation of Anam. Anam phones were designed with sophisticated encryption, hidden behind features like a fake calculator, to attract criminals into using them.
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