Pangoria Fallstar | DM VTUBER EN@thedandeliongrove found a tiktok advertising vortex phones for free when you are in certain programs, specifically for people who need access to the internet to get into those programs, like section 8 and foodstamps.
Casey Ho@thedandeliongrove @pangoriaF It's just a generic brand name. The FCC ID for the device is registered to a MD based company with another name, which in turn has a website with an expired SSL cert. Eventually it all leads to a more fleshed out website for a company that claims expertise in biz dev and mentions a few federal programs.
All signs points to a boutique company with a knack for signing contracts with the federal government.
@thedandeliongrove @pangoriaF Yep. Note that it's a phone. The device is free but is probably attached to a data plan. The subsidy the government provides for a 1-yr data plan easily covers the cost of multiple devices. In other words, the device is just one component of a multi-company marketing funnel designed to collect aid money by getting people to sign up for gov't programs.
@thedandeliongrove @pangoriaF From a security perspective, I'd treat it the same way I would treat any other untrusted device connected to an untrusted ISP. It's probably fine to use for a number of things but I would try to avoid entering personally identifying info into it, or at least minimize that.
I could be wrong, but I imagine that boutique companies that can't update their SSL records properly probably don't have the strongest protections against data breaches and the such.