Swatting

{{Short description|Criminal harassment by unrightfully calling law enforcement on someone}} {{About|the act of fraudulently calling emergency services to another person's address|the killing of houseflies|Fly-killing device#Flyswatter}} {{Globalize|date=June 2024|2=US}} {{Use American English|date=October 2018}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2018}} [[File:FBI SWAT team Watervliet Arsenal b.jpg|thumb|An FBI SWAT team during training]]

'''Swatting''' is a form of criminal harassment that involves deceiving an emergency service (via such means as hoaxing an emergency services dispatcher) into sending a police or emergency response team to another person's location. This is achieved by false reporting of a serious law enforcement emergency, such as a bomb threat, mass shooting, domestic violence, murder, hostage situation, or a false report of a mental health emergency, such as that a person is suicidal or homicidal and armed, among other things.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://focusonline.ca/sites/default/files/Focus%20Feature%20Rob%20Wipond%20December%202013.pdf |date=December 2013 |work=Focusonline.ca |first1=Rob |last1=Wipond |title=An Overabundance of Caution |access-date=October 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003010940/http://focusonline.ca/sites/default/files/Focus%20Feature%20Rob%20Wipond%20December%202013.pdf |archive-date=October 3, 2018 }}</ref>

The term is derived from the law enforcement unit SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics), a specialized type of police unit in the United States. It is not related to the verb "to swat".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swat | title=Definition of SWAT | date=May 9, 2024 }}</ref> SWAT teams are equipped with tactical gear and weapons that differ from patrol units, and are called to situations that are deemed high-risk. A threat may result in evacuations of schools and businesses. Advocates have called for swatting to be considered terrorism due to its use to intimidate and create the risk of injury or death.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Enzweiler |first1=Matthew James |title=Swatting Political Discourse: A Domestic Terrorism Threat |journal=Notre Dame L. Rev. |date=2015 |volume=90 |issue=5 |url=https://scholarship.law.nd.edu/ndlr/vol90/iss5/9/ |access-date=January 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911213503/http://scholarship.law.nd.edu/ndlr/vol90/iss5/9/ |archive-date=September 11, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |work=Ars Technica |access-date=16 January 2024 |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/06/fbi-finally-tracks-swatting-incidents-as-attacks-increase-nationwide/ |first1=Ashley |last1=Belanger |title=FBI finally tracks "swatting" incidents as attacks increase nationwide |date=June 30, 2023 }}</ref>

Making false reports to emergency services is a criminal offense in many jurisdictions, often punishable by fine or imprisonment.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/irate-online-gamer-sentenced-in-ventura-county-swatting-hoax/2080834/ |date=November 7, 2013 |title=Online Gamer Sentenced in Ventura County "Swatting" Hoax |work=NBC Los Angeles |last1=Healy |first1=Patrick |access-date=July 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704053419/http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Irate-Online-Gamer-Sentenced-in-Ventura-County-Swatting-Hoax-230944011.html |archive-date=July 4, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> In March 2019, a California man was sentenced to 20{{nbsp}}years in prison for carrying out a fatal 2017 swatting.<ref name="NBC">{{Cite web |first1=Doha |last1=Madani |url-status=live |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/serial-swatter-tyler-barriss-sentenced-20-years-death-kansas-man-n978291 |title=Serial 'swatter' sentenced to 20 years for death of Kansas man shot by police |website=NBC News |date=March 29, 2019 |access-date=July 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406042233/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/serial-swatter-tyler-barriss-sentenced-20-years-death-kansas-man-n978291 |archive-date=April 6, 2023}}</ref> Swatting carries a high risk of violence, and causes resources of about US$10,000 per incident to be wasted by a city or county that responds to a false report of a serious law enforcement emergency, as well as police or municipal liability in cases of violence or use of force.{{r |NBC_Solon |p=1 |q="Swatting can really tie up city resources," said Seattle resident Naveed Jamali, a former intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve who now co-chairs Seattle Police Department's Swatting Mitigation Advisory Committee. "Then from a human perspective, there's a huge risk of violence. So there's a huge liability potential to the city and it's also weaponizing a police force against private citizens." }}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2015/06/princeton_swatting_incidents_schools_malls_hoaxes.html |title=Recent wave of swatting nationwide fits definition of terrorism, Princeton police chief says |website=NJ.com |last1=Mulvaney |first1=Nicole |date=June 18, 2015 |access-date=July 3, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150704165203/http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2015/06/princeton_swatting_incidents_schools_malls_hoaxes.html |archive-date=July 4, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamezone.com/originals/the-dangers-and-ramifications-of-doxxing-and-swatting |title=The dangers and ramifications of doxxing and swatting |website=Gamezone |last1=Liebl |first1=Lance |date=October 28, 2014 |access-date=July 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612184805/https://www.gamezone.com/originals/the-dangers-and-ramifications-of-doxxing-and-swatting/ |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=NBC_2023-06-29 /> In California, swatters bear the "full cost" of the response, which can lead to fines of up to $10,000 if great bodily injury or death occur as a result of the swatting.<ref name="NBCNews">{{cite news |first1=Jeff |last1=Black |work=NBC News |date=September 11, 2013 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/california-governor-signs-bill-crack-down-celebrity-swatting-flna8c11126441 |url-status=live |title=California governor signs bill to crack down on celebrity 'swatting' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180406040637/http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/10/20426666-california-governor-signs-bill-to-crack-down-on-celebrity-swatting?lite |archive-date=April 6, 2018 |access-date=September 11, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&sectionNum=148.3 |title=California Penal Code § 148.3(b) |work=California Office of Legislative Counsel |date=September 9, 2013 |accessdate=February 19, 2022}}</ref>

== History == Bomb threats were a concern to police in the 1970s, with public buildings such as airports being evacuated in response to hoax calls designed to cause mass panic and public disruption,<ref>{{cite book |year=1976 |url=https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=60899 |publisher=Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms |title=Bomb Threats and Search Techniques |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101025838/https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=60899 |archive-date=January 1, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.ncjrs.gov/app/publications/abstract.aspx?id=28883 |title=Bomb threats against US airports, 1974 |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration |via=NCJRS.gov |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231103654/https://www.ncjrs.gov/app/publications/abstract.aspx?id=28883 |archive-date=December 31, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> or to delay exams at educational institutions.<ref>{{cite web |date=November 25, 2014 |first1=Mariel A. |last1=Klein |url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/11/25/eldo-kim-apology-threat/ |title=One Year Later, Kim Apologizes for Bomb Threat Hoax |work=Harvard Crimson |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213183937/http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2014/11/25/eldo-kim-apology-threat/ |archive-date=February 13, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fbi.gov/boston/press-releases/2013/harvard-student-charged-with-bomb-hoax |title=FBI — Harvard Student Charged with Bomb Hoax |work=FBI |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529094322/https://www.fbi.gov/boston/press-releases/2013/harvard-student-charged-with-bomb-hoax/ |archive-date=May 29, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> In recent decades, hoax callers sometimes use techniques to disguise their identity or country of origin.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ax |first1=Joseph |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-jewish/bomb-threat-suspect-in-israel-offered-services-on-dark-web-u-s-authorities-idUSKBN1AO2BP |title=Bomb threat suspect in Israel offered services on dark web: U.S. authorities |date=August 9, 2017 |publisher=Reuters |access-date=November 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107005129/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-security-jewish/bomb-threat-suspect-in-israel-offered-services-on-dark-web-u-s-authorities-idUSKBN1AO2BP |archive-date=November 7, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Swatting has origins in prank calls to emergency services. Over the years, callers used increasingly sophisticated techniques to direct response units of particular types. In particular, attempts to have SWAT teams be dispatched to particular locations spawned the term ''swatting''. The term was used by the FBI as early as 2008,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2008/february/swatting020408 |title=Don't Make the Call: The New Phenomenon of 'Swatting' |work=Federal Bureau of Investigation |date=February 4, 2008 |access-date=July 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529090453/https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2008/february/swatting020408 |archive-date=May 29, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> and entered Oxford Dictionaries Online in 2015.<ref>{{cite web |agency=Press Association |title=From bants to manspreading: what's new in the oxforddictionaries.com |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/27/hangry-bants-fatberg-new-words-in-oxforddictionaries |date=August 27, 2015 |access-date=August 28, 2015 |work=The Guardian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905203829/http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/aug/27/hangry-bants-fatberg-new-words-in-oxforddictionaries |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2019 the Anti-Defamation League estimated that there were about 1,000 swatting incidents nationwide, each costing about $10,000 of police time.<ref name=NBC_2023-06-29>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-formed-national-database-track-prevent-swatting-rcna91722 |title=The FBI has formed a national database to track and prevent 'swatting' - Advances in technology allow callers to mask their voices, phone numbers or IP addresses (also called "spoofing") or make their false 911 calls sound more credible. |last1=Ward |first1=Jacob |last2=Kolodny |first2=Lora |newspaper=NBC News |date=2023-06-29 |quote=By 2019, there were an estimated 1,000 swatting incidents domestically each year, according to a report from the Anti-Defamation League, and each incident is estimated to cost at least $10,000 to affected communities, even before expenditures on follow-up work like investigations, property repairs and counseling. }} </ref>

== Techniques == Caller ID spoofing, social engineering, prank calls, and phone phreaking techniques may be variously combined by swatting perpetrators, along with TTY systems meant for the use of those with hearing disabilities. 911 systems (including computer telephony systems and human operators) have been tricked by calls placed from cities hundreds of miles away from the location of the purported call, or even from other countries.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Prentice |first1=George |url=http://www.boiseweekly.com/CityDesk/archives/2013/04/13/update-meridian-teen-conspired-with-australian-youth-to-make-bomb-threats-to-schools-businesses |title=UPDATE: Meridian Teen Charged With Conspiracy With Australian Youth To Make Bomb Threats To Schools, Businesses |work=Boiseweekly.com |date=April 13, 2013 |access-date=September 6, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508150835/http://www.boiseweekly.com/CityDesk/archives/2013/04/13/update-meridian-teen-conspired-with-australian-youth-to-make-bomb-threats-to-schools-businesses |archive-date=May 8, 2013 |url-status=live }}</ref> The caller typically places a 911 call using a spoofed phone number, hiding the caller's real location.

Swatting is linked to the action of doxing, which is obtaining and broadcasting, often via the Internet, the address and details of an individual with an intent to harass or endanger them.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Haters: Harassment, Abuse, and Violence Online |last1=Bailey |first1=Poland |publisher=Potomac Books |year=2016 |isbn=9781612347660 |location=Lincoln |pages=55 |doi=10.2307/j.ctt1fq9wdp |oclc=962184824 |jstor=j.ctt1fq9wdp}}</ref>

== Countermeasures == In October 2018, the Seattle Police Department instituted a three-part approach to combating swatting: educating 911 dispatchers to identify fraudulent calls; ensuring that responding officers were aware of the potential for a hoax; and creating an opt-in registry for people who feared that they might become victims of swatting, such as journalists, celebrities, and live streamers. Using the registry, these people can provide cautionary information to the police, to inform officers responding to potential swatting attempts that target the victim's address.<ref name=NBC_Solon>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/all/trolls-turned-911-weapon-now-cops-are-fighting-back-n1105991 |title=Trolls turned 911 into a weapon. Now cops are fighting back - Once viewed as a prank, police are now treating 'swatting' as a serious crime that wastes city resources and puts targets' lives at risk. |last1=Solon |first1=Olivia |last2=Zadrozny |first2=Brandy |author-link2=Brandy Zadrozny |newspaper=NBC News |date=2019-12-22 |access-date=2019-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223060514/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1105991 |archive-date=2019-12-23 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/seattle-police-launch-opt-in-registry-system-to-help-prevent-swatting/ |title=Seattle police launch opt-in registry system to help prevent swatting |website=PC Gamer |date=October 2, 2018 |access-date=October 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003013806/https://www.pcgamer.com/seattle-police-launch-opt-in-registry-system-to-help-prevent-swatting/ |archive-date=October 3, 2018 |url-status=live |last1=Lane |first1=Rick }}</ref>

Security reporter Brian Krebs recommends that police departments take extra care when responding to calls received at their non-emergency numbers, or through speech synthesis systems, since these methods are often employed by out-of-area swatters who cannot connect to regional 911 centers.<ref name=Krebs_1>{{cite web |url=https://krebsonsecurity.com/2019/03/man-behind-fatal-swatting-gets-20-years/ |title=Man Behind Fatal 'Swatting' Gets 20 Years |last1=Krebs |first1=Brian |date=2019-03-29 |access-date=2019-08-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420142155/https://krebsonsecurity.com/2019/03/man-behind-fatal-swatting-gets-20-years/ |archive-date=2019-04-20 |url-status=live |quote=But as I've observed in previous stories about swatting attacks, it would also be nice if more police forces around the country received additional training on exercising restraint in the use of deadly force, particularly in responding to hostage or bomb threat scenarios that have hallmarks of a swatting hoax. For example, perpetrators of swatting often call non-emergency numbers at state and local police departments to carry out their crimes precisely because they are not local to the region and cannot reach the target's police department by calling 911. This is exactly what Tyler Barriss did in the Wichita case and others. Swatters also often use text-to-speech (TTY) services for the hearing impaired to relay hoax swat calls, as was the case with my 2013 swatting.}}</ref>

In September 2019, the Seattle Police Department formed the Swatting Mitigation Advisory Committee, composed of expert community and police representatives. Its purpose is to better understand swatting by collecting and analyzing data, formalizing protocols, and advocating broader awareness and prevention. It is currently co-chaired by Naveed Jamali and Sean Whitcomb, creator of the anti-swatting registry.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.seattle.gov/police/need-help/swatting |title=Protect Yourself from Swatting |work=Seattle Police Department |publisher=seattle.gov |access-date=2019-12-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723135400/http://www.seattle.gov/police/need-help/swatting |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 23, 2019}}</ref>

In June 2023, the FBI announced that it would create a database to track swattings and improve information-sharing among local police agencies.{{r |NBC_2023-06-29 }}

== Laws ==

=== United States === [[File:Katherine Clark 114th (cropped).jpg|thumb|226x226px|Representative Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, sponsor of the Interstate Swatting Hoax Act of 2015]] In the United States, swatting can be prosecuted through federal criminal statutes: * "Threatening interstate communications"<ref>{{usc|18|875}}</ref> * "Conspiracy to retaliate against a witness, victim, or informant"<ref name="fbi_Jan_2009">{{cite press release |url=https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/dallas/press-releases/2009/dl012909.htm |title=Individual Pleads Guilty in Swatting Conspiracy Case |work=FBI |date=January 29, 2009 |access-date=July 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160529140444/https://www.fbi.gov/dallas/press-releases/2009/dl012909.htm |archive-date=May 29, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{usc|18|1513}}</ref> * "Conspiracy to commit access device fraud and unauthorized access of a protected computer"<ref name="fbi_Jan_2009" /><ref>{{usc|18|1030}}</ref> * An accomplice may be found guilty of "conspiring to obstruct justice"<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/dallas/press-releases/2009/dl111609.htm |title=Last Defendant Sentenced in Swatting Conspiracy |publisher=fbi.gov |date=November 16, 2009 |access-date=July 12, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160514044503/https://www.fbi.gov/dallas/press-releases/2009/dl111609.htm |archive-date=May 14, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{usc|18|371}}</ref> * In California, callers bear the "full cost" of the response which can range up to $10,000<ref name="NBCNews" />

In 2011, California State Senator Ted Lieu authored a bill to increase penalties for swatting. His own family became a victim of swatting when the bill was proposed.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dailybreeze.com/2013/04/19/sen-ted-lieu-author-of-anti-swatting-bill-becomes-a-swatting-victim/ |first1=Larry |last1=Altman |title=Sen. Ted Lieu, author of anti-'swatting' bill, becomes a swatting victim |work=dailybreeze.com |date=April 19, 2013 |access-date=February 7, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826025216/http://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20130419/sen-ted-lieu-author-of-anti-swatting-bill-becomes-a-swatting-victim |archive-date=August 26, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> A dozen police officers, along with firefighters and paramedics surrounded his family home.

In 2015, New Jersey State Assemblyman Paul D. Moriarty announced a bill<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2014/Bills/A4000/3877_I1.HTM |title=A3877 |website=www.njleg.state.nj.us |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102165050/http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2014/Bills/A4000/3877_I1.HTM |archive-date=January 2, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> to increase sentences for hoax emergency calls, and was targeted by a hoax.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nj.com/politics/2015/04/nj_lawmaker_who_wants_to_combat_dangerous_swatting.html |work=NJ.com |first1=Matt |last1=Friedman |title=N.J. lawmaker who wants to combat dangerous 'swatting' prank gets swatted |date=April 15, 2015 |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231104202/http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2015/04/nj_lawmaker_who_wants_to_combat_dangerous_swatting.html |archive-date=December 31, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://observer.com/2015/05/moriarty-swatting-bill-passes-assembly-committee/ |first1=Chase |last1=Brush |title=Moriarty's 'swatting' bill passes Assembly Homeland Security Committee |website=The New York Observer |date=May 11, 2015 |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125015319/https://observer.com/2015/05/moriarty-swatting-bill-passes-assembly-committee/ |archive-date=January 25, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> The bill proposed prison sentences up to ten&nbsp;years and fines up to $150,000.

A 2015 bipartisan bill in Congress sponsored by Katherine Clark and Patrick Meehan made swatting a federal crime with increased penalties.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/4057/text |title=Text - H.R.4057 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): Interstate Swatting Hoax Act |date=December 4, 2015 |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222224322/https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/4057/text |archive-date=February 22, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://meehan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/bipartisan-bill-aims-to-combat-dangerous-swatting-hoaxes |work=meehan.house.gov |title=Bipartisan Bill Aims to Combat Dangerous 'Swatting' Hoaxes |date=November 18, 2015 |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231155454/https://meehan.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/bipartisan-bill-aims-to-combat-dangerous-swatting-hoaxes |archive-date=December 31, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Congresswoman Clark wrote an op-ed in ''The Hill'' saying that 2.5&nbsp;million cases of cyberstalking between 2010 and 2013 had only resulted in 10&nbsp;cases prosecuted, although a source for this was not provided.<ref>{{Cite news |first1=Sam |last1=Machkovech |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/03/congressperson-asks-doj-to-intensify-enforcement-of-online-harassment-laws/ |title=Congressperson asks DoJ to 'intensify enforcement' of online harassment laws |work=Ars Technica |access-date=December 30, 2017 |language=en-us |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902055552/https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/03/congressperson-asks-doj-to-intensify-enforcement-of-online-harassment-laws/ |archive-date=September 2, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/235070-sexism-in-cyberspace/ |title=Sexism in cyberspace |date=March 10, 2015 |work=TheHill |access-date=December 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823205102/http://thehill.com/opinion/op-ed/235070-sexism-in-cyberspace |archive-date=August 23, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> As revenge for the bill, an anonymous caller fraudulently called police to Rep. Clark's house on January 31, 2016.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/02/01/cops-swarm-rep-katherine-clark-melrose-home-after-apparent-hoax/yqEpcpWmKtN6bOOAj8FZXJ/story.html |title=Police swarm Katherine Clark's home after apparent hoax – The Boston Globe |work=BostonGlobe.com |access-date=December 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806235910/https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/02/01/cops-swarm-rep-katherine-clark-melrose-home-after-apparent-hoax/yqEpcpWmKtN6bOOAj8FZXJ/story.html |archive-date=August 6, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== United Kingdom === In the United Kingdom, swatting is not recognized as an offence under UK laws unlike the US but may be prosecuted as perverting the course of justice where false complaints or allegations were made.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-19 |title=UK 'swatting' hostage hoaxer led police to shoot man in US |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cle019e459xo |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In 2015, 28-year-old Robert Walker-McDaid pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to perverting the course of justice, and was given a 20 month suspended sentence. Walker-McDaid was also required to complete 200 hours of community service and provide £1000 compensation to Tyran Dobbs, who was the victim of Walker-McDaid's hoax call.<ref>{{Cite web |title=First-ever UK 'swatting' sentence passed after man shot in face by armed unit due to hoax call |url=https://news.sky.com/story/first-ever-uk-swatting-sentence-passed-after-man-shot-in-face-by-armed-unit-due-to-hoax-call-13118559 |access-date=2024-06-11 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref>

== Injuries or deaths due to swatting ==

=== 2015 Oklahoma incident === On January 15, 2015, in Sentinel, Oklahoma, dispatchers received 911 calls from someone identifying himself as Dallas Horton who told dispatchers he had placed a bomb in a local preschool. Washita County sheriff's deputies and the Sentinel police chief Louis Ross made forced entry into Horton's residence. Ross, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, was shot several times by Horton. Further investigation revealed that the calls did not originate from the residence, leading Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agents to conclude Horton was unaware it was law enforcement officers who were entering his home. James Edward Holly confessed to investigators that he made the calls with two "nonfunctioning" phones because he was angry with Horton.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://newsok.com/court-document-reveals-more-about-sentinel-ok-bomb-threat/article/5386857 |title=Court document reveals more about Sentinel, OK, bomb threat |work=NewsOK.com |date=January 22, 2015 |access-date=February 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216193032/http://newsok.com/court-document-reveals-more-about-sentinel-ok-bomb-threat/article/5386857 |archive-date=February 16, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> Ross was treated for his wounds and released from a local hospital.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 19, 2015 |url=https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/no-charges-man-who-shot-police-chief-oklahoma-msna508901 |first1=Michele |last1=Richinick |title=No charges for man who shot police chief in Oklahoma |work=MSNBC |access-date=December 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806235906/http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/no-charges-man-who-shot-police-chief-oklahoma |archive-date=August 6, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== 2017 Wichita incident === {{main|2017 Wichita swatting}} During a December&nbsp;28, 2017 online dispute between Casey Viner and Shane Gaskill regarding the video game ''Call of Duty: WWII'', Viner threatened to have Gaskill swatted. Gaskill gave Viner his former address, which was a home in Wichita, Kansas, occupied by an uninvolved person, Andrew Finch. Viner then asked Tyler Barriss, an anonymous online swatter, to make the fraudulent call to initiate the swatting. Wichita police responded to the false address, and as Finch exited the house, a police officer fatally shot him.

Barriss pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and several previous unrelated crimes, and in March 2019, he was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Viner was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment and two years supervised release for his involvement, while Gaskill was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. The officer was not charged.

=== 2020 Tennessee incident === {{main|2020 Tennessee swatting}} On April 27, 2020, Mark Herring, a sixty-year-old man from Bethpage, Tennessee, died of a heart attack after police responded to false reports of a woman being killed at his house. The swatting was part of a scheme to force him to give up his Twitter handle "@tennessee". Shane Sonderman was sentenced to five&nbsp;years in prison for the swatting, and ordered to pay a $250,000 fine. A 16-year-old in the United Kingdom was also involved, but they could not be extradited or identified due to their age as a juvenile.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Denis |first1=Alex |title='Swatting' call leads to death of Sumner County man targeted for his Twitter handle |url=https://www.wkrn.com/news/swatting-call-leads-to-death-of-tn-man-targeted-for-twitter-handle/ |work=WKRN News |access-date=July 21, 2021 |date=July 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230203024917/https://www.wkrn.com/news/swatting-call-leads-to-death-of-tn-man-targeted-for-twitter-handle/ |archive-date=February 3, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Thubron |first1=Rob |url=https://www.techspot.com/news/90483-grandfather-died-heart-attack-after-minors-swatted-over.html |title=A grandfather died of a heart attack after minors swatted him over his rare Twitter handle |date=July 20, 2021 |access-date=July 21, 2021 |work=TechSpot |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230518232008/https://www.techspot.com/news/90483-grandfather-died-heart-attack-after-minors-swatted-over.html |archive-date=May 18, 2023 }}</ref>

== Other notable cases ==

=== Video game streamers === Due to the popularity of streaming services, many broadcasters have been victim of swatting. Two weeks after the Fortnite World Cup Finals, where 16-year-old Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf won $3&nbsp;million and the title of best solo ''Fortnite'' player, he was swatted while streaming live on Twitch.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Gonzalez |first1=Oscar |title=Fortnite world champion 'swatted' while streaming on Twitch |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/fortnite-world-champion-swatted-while-streaming-on-twitch/ |date=August 13, 2019 |access-date=2022-01-01 |website=CNET |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220707144359/https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/fortnite-world-champion-swatted-while-streaming-on-twitch/ |archive-date=July 7, 2022}}</ref> Ben "DrLupo" Lupo stated he was swatted three times in one month.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gamer Face On |work=Omaha Magazine |url=https://www.omahamagazine.com/2020/03/03/300894/gamer-face-on |first1=Sean |last1=Robinson |date=March 3, 2020 |access-date=2022-01-01 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321104900/https://www.omahamagazine.com/2020/03/03/300894/gamer-face-on |archive-date=March 21, 2023}}</ref> Other popular gaming broadcasters have been victims of swatting, including Tyler "Ninja" Blevins.<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Elaine |last1=Teng |date=September 18, 2018 |title=Fortnite legend Ninja is living the stream |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/24710688/fortnite-legend-ninja-living-stream |access-date=2022-01-01 |website=ESPN.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927233733/http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/24710688/fortnite-legend-ninja-living-stream |archive-date=September 27, 2018}}</ref>

===2013=== In 2013, a number of U.S. celebrities were victims of swatting, including Sean Combs (P. Diddy).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/Diddy-the-latest-swatting-prank-victim/tabid/418/articleID/292961/Default.aspx |work=3 News NZ |title=Diddy the latest swatting prank |access-date=April 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102194512/http://www.3news.co.nz/Diddy-the-latest-swatting-prank-victim/tabid/418/articleID/292961/Default.aspx |archive-date=January 2, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> There were also swatting incidents at the residences of Ashton Kutcher, Tom Cruise,<!--note article did not identify which Kardashians got swatted so let's remove it---> Chris Brown, Miley Cyrus, Iggy Azalea, Jason Derulo, Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber and Clint Eastwood.<ref name="NBCNews"/>

In April 2013 California State Senator Ted Lieu, who was arguing at the time for anti-swatting laws in the state, was himself swatted.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anti-Swatting Politician Gets 'Swatted' |date=April 19, 2013 |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/report-anti-swatting-politician-gets-swatted/ |access-date=2022-08-24 |website=CBS News |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221026020037/https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/report-anti-swatting-politician-gets-swatted/ |url-status=live |archive-date=October 26, 2022}}</ref>

In 2013, a network of fraudsters involved in carding and doxing of public officials using stolen credit reports targeted computer security expert Brian Krebs with malicious police reports.<ref>{{cite web |work=Sophos |url=https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2016/07/15/serial-swatter-stalker-and-doxer-mir-islam-given-2-years-prison/ |first1=Lisa |last1=Vaas |title=Serial swatter, stalker and doxer Mir Islam given 2 years prison |date=July 15, 2016 |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715093621/https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2016/07/15/serial-swatter-stalker-and-doxer-mir-islam-given-2-years-prison/ |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first1=Lisa |last1=Vaas |work=Sophos |url=https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2013/03/17/swat-ddos-brian-krebs/ |title=Hackers launch DDoS attack on security blogger's site, send SWAT team to his home |date=March 17, 2013 |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180711094722/https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2013/03/17/swat-ddos-brian-krebs/ |archive-date=July 11, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Mir Islam, the group's leader, had also used swatting hoaxes against prosecutor Stephen P. Heymann, congressman Mike Rogers, and a woman he was cyberstalking after she declined his romantic proposals. Islam was convicted of doxing and swatting over 50 public figures, including Michelle Obama, Robert Mueller, John Brennan as well as Krebs, and sentenced to two&nbsp;years in prison.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Lisa |last1=Vaas |url=https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2017/02/21/thugs-who-sent-brian-krebs-heroin-and-a-swat-team-sentenced/ |title=Thugs who sent Brian Krebs heroin and a SWAT team sentenced |date=February 21, 2017 |work=Sophos |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813071025/https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2017/02/21/thugs-who-sent-brian-krebs-heroin-and-a-swat-team-sentenced/ |archive-date=August 13, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Ukrainian computer hacker Sergey Vovnenko was convicted of trafficking in stolen credit cards, as well as planning to purchase heroin, ship it to Krebs, then swat him.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sergey-vovnenko-ukrainian-hacker-gets-41-months-in-prison-for-leading-online-theft-ring/ |title=Ukrainian hacker gets 41 months in prison for leading online theft ring |website=CBS News |date=February 16, 2017 |agency=CBS/AP |access-date=December 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715040213/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sergey-vovnenko-ukrainian-hacker-gets-41-months-in-prison-for-leading-online-theft-ring/ |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> He was sentenced to 15&nbsp;months in prison in Italy, and 41&nbsp;months in prison in New Jersey.<ref>{{Cite press release |date=2017-02-16 |title=Ukrainian Citizen Sentenced To 41 Months In Prison For Using Army Of 13,000 Infected Computers To Loot Log-In Credentials, Payment Card Data |url=https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/ukrainian-citizen-sentenced-41-months-prison-using-army-13000-infected-computers-loot-log |access-date=2021-09-20 |website=Justice.gov |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229231217/https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/ukrainian-citizen-sentenced-41-months-prison-using-army-13000-infected-computers-loot-log |archive-date=December 29, 2022}}</ref>

=== 2014 === Hal Finney, a paralyzed computer scientist with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was swatted in 2014 after refusing to pay a $400,000 ransom. He faced cold, unsafe conditions on his lawn for half an hour while police checked his house. He continued receiving threats until his death in August 2014.<ref name=wired>{{cite news |first1=Robert |last1=McMillan |title=An Extortionist Has Been Making Life Hell for Bitcoin's Earliest Adopters |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/12/finney-swat/ |access-date=3 January 2015 |magazine=Wired |date=29 December 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150103053804/http://www.wired.com/2014/12/finney-swat/ |archive-date=3 January 2015 }}</ref>

=== 2022 === In July 2022, Emmet G. Sullivan, a U.S. federal judge presiding over cases pertaining to the January 6 United States Capitol attack, was the victim of a swatting incident.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-01/jan-6-judge-targeted-in-swat-hoax-likely-won-t-be-the-last |first1=Zoe |last1=Tillman |date=October 1, 2022 |access-date=October 18, 2022 |work=Bloomberg.com |title=A Jan. 6 Judge Was Targeted in a SWAT Hoax. He Likely Won't Be the Last |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221018174431/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-10-01/jan-6-judge-targeted-in-swat-hoax-likely-won-t-be-the-last |archive-date=October 18, 2022 |url-status=bot: unknown }}</ref>

On August 5, 2022, Canadian transgender streamer and political commentator Clara "Keffals" Sorrenti was swatted at her home by unknown individuals who also, posing as Sorrenti, sent a threatening email and a photo of an illegal firearm to London city councillors, presumably part of a harassment campaign carried out by Kiwi Farms that began on March 21, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=First 'swatting' and now 'doxing': online harassment of trans activist continues |first1=Dale |last1=Carruthers |date=August 17, 2022 |url=https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/first-swatting-and-now-doxing-online-harassment-of-trans-activist-continues |access-date=2022-08-19 |website=lfpress |language=en-CA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220819074307/https://lfpress.com/news/local-news/first-swatting-and-now-doxing-online-harassment-of-trans-activist-continues |archive-date=August 19, 2022}}</ref> Sorrenti claimed she was repeatedly misgendered and deadnamed by London Police officers, and placed into custody for 11 hours before being released without charges. She stated that she considered the incident a hate crime, an example of harassment towards transgender people by anti-LGBTQ groups in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |first1=Lindsay |last1=Dodgson |title=Trans Twitch streamer Keffals arrested at gunpoint in swatting attack |url=https://www.insider.com/trans-twitch-streamer-keffals-arrested-swatted-2022-8 |date=August 10, 2022 |access-date=2022-08-19 |website=Insider |language=en-US |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20230610050603/https://www.insider.com/trans-twitch-streamer-keffals-arrested-swatted-2022-8 |archive-date=June 10, 2023 |url-status=live }}</ref> The London Police Service responded with a statement from Chief of Police Steve Williams, who said that while he could not confirm any language used before Sorrenti's arrest, she was not addressed by her deadname or previous gender while in the agency's holding cells. He also said that any references to Sorrenti's deadname during the investigation seemed to stem from the existence of prior police reports she had accumulated before the event.<ref>{{Cite press release |first1=Steve |last1=Williams |date=2022-08-11 |title=Statement From Police Chief Williams August 2022 |url=https://www.londonpolice.ca/en/news/statement-from-police-chief-williams-august-2022.aspx |access-date=2022-09-19 |website=www.londonpolice.ca |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929125002/https://www.londonpolice.ca/en/news/statement-from-police-chief-williams-august-2022.aspx |archive-date=September 29, 2022}}</ref> Three other streamers, Adin Ross, Nadia Amine, and IShowSpeed were also swatted the same week as Sorrenti.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Grayson |first1=Nathan |date=August 15, 2022 |title=Twitch streamers traumatized after four 'swattings' in a week |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/08/15/keffals-adin-ross-ishowspeed-swatting-twitch-youtube/ |access-date=August 24, 2022 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816030937/https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/2022/08/15/keffals-adin-ross-ishowspeed-swatting-twitch-youtube/ |archive-date=August 16, 2022}}</ref>

In August 2022, U.S. representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was swatted in Georgia by a caller who allegedly opposed her stances on transgender rights.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Breuninger |first1=Kevin |date=August 24, 2022 |title=Georgia cops respond to 'swatting' call at home of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/24/cops-go-to-home-of-rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-in-response-to-swatting-call.html |access-date=2022-08-24 |website=CNBC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220824160829/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/24/cops-go-to-home-of-rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-in-response-to-swatting-call.html |archive-date=August 24, 2022 |language=en }}</ref>

=== 2023 === {{Main|Swatting of American politicians (2023–2024)}}

In November 2023, Ned Luke, a voice and performance artist for the fictional character Michael De Santa in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto V'', was swatted in his home during a Thanksgiving live-stream of himself playing the game. He took a phone call warning him of the pending police action before he prematurely ended his stream.<ref>{{cite news |first1=Megan |last1=Myers |work=Fox News |date=November 24, 2023 |url=https://www.foxnews.com/media/grand-theft-auto-5-actor-victim-prank-call-livestream-now-holes-swatted-house |title='Grand Theft Auto 5' actor victim of prank call during livestream: 'Now these a--holes have swatted my house' |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128004510/https://www.foxnews.com/media/grand-theft-auto-5-actor-victim-prank-call-livestream-now-holes-swatted-house |archive-date=November 28, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/actor-who-played-michael-in-gta-5-swatted-while-streaming-defends-rockstar-despite-fan-outcry |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231126160549/https://www.ign.com/articles/actor-who-played-michael-in-gta-5-swatted-while-streaming-defends-rockstar-despite-fan-outcry |first=Ryan |last=Dinsdale |url-status=live |archive-date=November 26, 2023 |work=ign.com |title=Actor Who Played Michael in GTA 5 Swatted While Streaming, Defends Rockstar Despite Fan Outcry |date=November 24, 2023 }}</ref> As of late 2025 he has been swatted 8 times in total, with responding police officers becoming so familiar with the situation one simply entered his home, announcing "you're being swatted again" which was captured on a live stream.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Robertson |first1=Joshua |title=GTA 5's Michael Actor Has Been Swatted So Often That He's Friends With The Police |url=https://www.thegamer.com/gta-5-michael-actor-swatted-eight-times/ |website=TheGamer |access-date=21 May 2026 |language=en |date=31 December 2025}}</ref>

There have been widespread doxing, swatting and violent threats against American politicians since early December 2023, predominately members of the Republican Party and conservatives.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last1=Paybarah |first1=Azi |date=December 29, 2023 |title=Marjorie Taylor Greene isn't the only politician to be a swatting target |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/12/28/marjorie-taylor-greene-others-swatted-christmas/ |access-date=December 30, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> Beginning in late December 2023, members of the Democratic Party also began to be increasingly targeted.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last1=Corbett |first1=Jessica |date=2023-12-31 |title=Threats Rise as Courts Decide Trump's 2024 Ballot in Maine, Colorado |url=https://truthout.org/articles/threats-rise-as-courts-decide-trumps-2024-ballot-in-maine-colorado/ |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Truthout |language=en-US}}</ref> It is unknown if the hoaxes were perpetrated by one or more individuals, or what their motivations were.<ref name=":1" />

Maine Sec. of State Shenna Bellows was targeted with a fake emergency call to police that caused officers to respond to her home the day after she removed former President Donald Trump from Maine's Presidential Primary Ballot under the Constitution's insurrection clause.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maine State Official Who Removed Trump From Ballot Was Targeted In Swatting Call At Her Home |first1=Mark |last1=Thiessen |agency=Associated Press |date=December 31, 2023 |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/maine-secretary-of-state-swatting_n_6590dec8e4b0cd3cf0e5821c |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=Huffington Post}}</ref>

== See also == {{Portal|Telecommunication}} * Computer security * Mobbing

== References == {{Reflist}}

== Further reading == * {{cite web |url=https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/the-crime-of-swatting-fake-9-1-1-calls-have-real-consequences1 |title=The Crime of 'Swatting' — Fake 9-1-1 Calls Have Real Consequences |date=September 3, 2013 |website=Federal Bureau of Investigation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527222330/https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/the-crime-of-swatting-fake-9-1-1-calls-have-real-consequences1 |archive-date=May 27, 2023}} * {{cite web |url=https://www.laweekly.com/news/swatting-a-deadly-political-game-2612022 |title=SWATting, a Deadly Political Game |first1=Simone |last1=Wilson |date=November 8, 2012 |website=LA Weekly |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014011736/https://www.laweekly.com/swatting-a-deadly-political-game/ |archive-date=October 14, 2022}} * {{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2007/11/guilty-plea-pho/ |title=Guilty Plea: Phone Phreaks Use Caller-ID Spoofing to Get Foes Raided By SWAT |first1=Bruce |last1=Sterling |date=November 30, 2007 |magazine=Wired |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204184950/https://www.wired.com/2007/11/guilty-plea-pho/ |archive-date=February 4, 2023}} * {{cite web |url=https://www.inquisitr.com/1460843/teenager-receiving-life-in-prison-for-swatting-gamer-is-a-satirical-hoax-which-stirred-social-media/ |title=Teenager Receiving Life In Prison For 'Swatting' Gamer Is A Satirical Hoax Which Stirred Social Media |first1=Jan |last1=Omega |date=September 8, 2014 |website=Inquisitr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221221004055/https://www.inquisitr.com/1460843/teenager-receiving-life-in-prison-for-swatting-gamer-is-a-satirical-hoax-which-stirred-social-media |archive-date=December 21, 2022}} * {{cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/meet-a-teenager-who-says-hes-a-swatter-1686128721 |title=Meet A Teenager Who Says He's A Swatter |first1=Patrick |last1=Klepek |date=February 17, 2015 |website=Kotaku |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230425043101/https://kotaku.com/meet-a-teenager-who-says-hes-a-swatter-1686128721 |archive-date=April 25, 2023}}

{{Abuse}} {{Bullying}} {{Miscarriage of justice}} Category:Computer security exploits Category:Confidence tricks Category:2000s neologisms Category:Law enforcement controversies in the United States Category:Video game controversies Category:Video game culture