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Collecting data then then sifting through it all in the Puzzle Palaces-terrorists hand off written notes.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/26610194/tech-company-finds-mysterious-fake-cell-towers-in-dc-area

WASHINGTON -

Is somebody hacking into cell phones in the D.C. area? A new investigation is raising concerns this may be happening.

An independent investigation found fake cell phone towers popping up all over the area. The towers are located near the White House, the United States Capitol and the Supreme Court.

It begs the question: Who is behind these towers?

We know that unless you have a special piece of equipment, you would never even know that your phone has connected to one of these so-called “non-network towers.”

The federal government will neither confirm nor deny that they use such towers for law enforcement purposes. But technology experts say it is another example of how none of us really know who is prying into our electronic lives.

Do you worry about somebody hacking into your cellphone? Well, it turns out here in the nation's capital, such concerns may be warranted.

"They're looking to steal the information,” said Buzz Bruner of EDS America.

Tech company EDS America last week scanned several locations in D.C. looking for fake cellphone towers.

"We found about 15 different encounters in downtown D.C. and about three outside of D.C.,” said Bruner.

Those locations included the White House. And once connected to the fake tower, Bruner says your phone is an open book.

"They can listen to all of your voice calls and they can grab all of your texts,” he said.

This survey was done by a company that builds and sells cell phones. But they are unlike any cell phone you've ever seen.

EDS America is marketing this Cryptophone at $3,500. It claims to be the world's best hack-proof phone. And while some doubt that claim, experts say EDS's fake tower report should not be ignored.

"It's definitely plausible that there are these fake cell phone towers here in D.C.,” said Alan Butler of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.

He says if a government agency is behind the towers, they would represent a treasure trove of data.

"That's a lot of data about a lot of phones, and a lot of data of a lot of phones that aren't even related to a particular investigation,” he said. “So the question is what happens to that data?”

But right now, EDS America says so far no one has claimed ownership of the towers and their origin remains a mystery.

And unless someone comes forward, we may never know.

The federal government has spent the last year defending its electronic surveillance programs in the wake of the Edward Snowden scandal. U.S. officials have repeatedly said they only collect information on specific targets. However, documents leaked by Snowden have shown the government's reach has often gone far beyond what it has publicly admitted to.