system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5:How do Stingray towers work, and should I be worried that a friend found one near me?

A tech savvy friend of mine posted on Facebook earlier tonight about a Stingray tower in a neighboring parish in Louisiana.  What exactly does it do and should this concern me or my friends and family?
gpt
It's a fake cell phone tower. Aka IMSI catcher. Your phone thinks its operated by the mobile carrier but really it's operated (mostly illegally) by the police Or criminal organizations. They intercept your text messages and calls and potentially more and there's little you can do about it. They can be detected by Snoop Snitch app for Android if your phone is among the compatible models.