Street criminals tend to be dumb. Thugs, muggers, dealers, guys who just freak out and shoot/beat/rape someone for no reason. People like that usually aren't together enough to even think of getting a secure phone.

The FBI is after the upper echelons of organized crime, and organized crime can be terrifyingly intelligent and resourceful. As another commenter mentioned, some of the Mexican cartels have their own IT departments and private cell providers.

> organized crime can be terrifyingly intelligent and resourceful. As another commenter mentioned, some of the Mexican cartels have their own IT departments and private cell providers

What is that based on? If they are so smart, why are they in a business where they're risking their lives, living under constant legal threat, and ruining the lives of millions of others? Lots of people get very wealthy without those risks, such as many in the Bay Area? Who is smarter?

Having your own IT department isn't a sign of genius.

Intelligence != capable of socializing. You need both in order to be paid well. I think the belife that criminals are uninteligent is due to 1) Intelligent people recognizing that crime rarely has a positive expected profit

2) There might be more unintelligent people than people who are both intelligent and so incapable of socializing that they can't find work.

As long as you're not at the bottom 2-3 rungs crime can have a huge positive expected profit. It's the lifestyle that sucks which is why intelligent people don't get into it unless something in their life makes it a compelling option.

It's amazing to me to see how many people run out the tropes that intelligent people don't commit crimes. More accurately, intelligent people don't get caught committing crimes.

Aka https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias

I know a ton of intelligent people in their 30s or 40s at or near the poverty line. Being intelligent doesn't in any way guarantee you good money.

If you haven't heard of the just world fallacy, it might be worth looking into.

It doesn't guarantee it, but it sure helps! Thew world isn't perfectly just, but there is justice. It depends on you and me - are we making our immediate world more just?

There are plenty of smart criminals. They just don't get caught so you only hear about the dumb ones.

It's like inverted Survivorship Bias.