Draft:Simland

• Comment: Sources are all specialist, not a great amount of sigcov, and a source we cannot here use per BLPPRIMARY (justice.gov). Large amounts of uncited BLP content PARAKANYAA (talk) 18:42, 16 May 2025 (UTC)

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Not to be confused with the unrelated SVC Simland

Simland

Simland's Twitter Page Old Banner
Formation	~2021
Type	Fraud Network
Headquarters	United States of America
Owner	"Tongue"
Key people	"Haruki", "District"
Staff	Unknown

Simland is a network of Telegram channels that facilitates cybercrime and is widely associated with SIM swapping and related cybercriminal activities.

Creation

Simland (often styled “Sim Land”) is a relatively new Telegram ecosystem that appears in 2021, centered on Simswapping fraud. Its exact founders and start date are unclear, but it emerged amid a surge of Telegram abuse by fraudsters. By mid‑2024, researchers like Intel 471 were tracking thousands of illicit Telegram channels (over 5,700) offering things like SIM swapping and OTP. During this period, Telegram came under pressure (e.g. France indicted Telegram’s CEO in August 2024 for allowing illegal content) and reportedly began banning crime-related groups. Simland’s original channel was said to be banned around that time. In this context, a new “Sim Land” network of channels was created. According to its own directory, Simland bills itself as “The Simland Network”

Simland and Torswats

Alan W. Filion, known online by aliases including “Dushatar,” was sentenced in 2025 to four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to over 375 swatting and bomb threat hoaxes across the U.S. from 2022 to 2024. He monetized these attacks by offering swatting-for-hire services on social media and messaging platforms. Filion was reportedly active in the Telegram community Simland, primarily known for SIM swapping and other cybercriminal activity. According to discussions on forums such as Kiwi Farms, Filion used Simland to advertise his services and took part in video calls where swatting tactics were discussed. While Simland does not appear to have been centrally organized around swatting, it functioned as a space where such illicit services could be promoted and shared among like-minded individuals.

Legal

In July 2023, David M. Desimone III, An 18-year-old resident of Hastings, New York, operating under the moniker "District", was arrested following a month-long investigation by the New York State Police Community Stabilization Unit into illegal firearms trafficking. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Desimone's residence, uncovering a secret room containing illegal firearms and components. Several items were identified as "ghost" guns—firearms without serial numbers, making them untraceable. Desimone faced 53 felony and 17 misdemeanor charges, including criminal possession of weapons and violation of an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO), which prohibited him from possessing firearms. Authorities alleged that Desimone had been selling firearms both in person and over the dark web .

Desimone was previously associated with the Telegram-based community known as Simland, where he reportedly held an administrative role. Simland has been noted for its involvement in SIM swapping activities—a form of identity theft where fraudsters gain control of a victim's mobile phone number to access personal information and accounts.

Operators

Following Desimone's arrest, a co-conspirator operating under the online alias "Blickz" reportedly assumed administrative control of the Simland network. However, by late 2023, it appeared that "Blickz" was no longer actively managing the community. Control of Simland was subsequently taken over by an individual using the pseudonym "Tongue," who is currently believed to be working alongside a new associate known as "Haruki."