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 fraudsters2
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 “Dushatar4,” 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 services4 on social media
and messaging platforms. Filion was reportedly active in the Telegram community Simland, primarily
known for SIM swapping and other cybercriminal activity.
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 “Dushatar4,” 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 services4 on social media
and messaging platforms. Filion was reportedly active in the Telegram community Simland, primarily
known for SIM swapping and other cybercriminal activity.
"Authorities have intensified efforts to dismantle Simland, a notorious network of Telegram channels linked to SIM swapping, swatting-for-hire, and other forms of cybercrime."
by GlobalJournalists May 17, 2025