Search Engine What's the best phone to do crimes on? (classic)
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Dec 5, 2025 
Joseph Cox, an investigative tech reporter and author of Dark Wire, dives into the fascinating world of criminal communication technology. He reveals the rise and fall of the AN0M phone, a favorite among criminals for its clever features and secure messaging. Joseph shares stories of how organized crime evolved with encrypted phones and discusses the FBI's undercover operation that turned the tide on such technologies. The conversation also touches on the ethics of surveillance, the impact on criminal markets, and recommendations for privacy-conscious users.
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How Encrypted Phones Reshaped Crime
- Encrypted-phone startups transformed organized crime by offering easy-to-use, secure messaging tailored to criminals.
- Anom combined slick consumer features with vetting and reseller networks to rapidly scale global criminal adoption.
Criminal Influencers Fueled Growth
- Hakan Ayik and "Microsoft" acted as criminal influencers who recruited broad criminal networks onto Anom.
- Their endorsements and reseller commissions turned Anom into a global platform used by many syndicates.
FBI Built The Platform To Spy
- The FBI covertly ran Anom as Operation Trojan Shield to collect messages at scale by controlling the platform.
- Turning the service into a federal operation let authorities map global criminal networks in unprecedented detail.
