Swatting: A Dangerous Prank
What is swatting? You've probably seen it in the news recently - famous celebrities in Los Angeles like Chris Brown, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Ashton Kutcher, Simon Cowell, Tom Cruise, and the Kardashians have been targeted.
Swatting is when a hacker pretends to be someone by hacking their phone line, cal\lling 911, and reporting a fake emergency to the victim's address - normally a kidnapping/hostages, bombings, shootings, or murders - which requires heavy police presence to respond to the home, sometimes with guns drawn, only to have police show up to find that the call was a hoax.
It seems to be an evolution of 'phreakers' who gained notice in the 1970s when they would hack into phone companies computers and make free long-distance calls.
These calls are very dangerous because they are similar to calls departments receive about real shootings or murders. The police show up ready for a crazy person, possibly armed, only to find innocent victims. Both officers and victims are placed in danger because either party may try to defend themselves. The seriousness of the call creates a scenario that holds so much confusion and panic, it's surprising the incidents haven't turned out for the worse.
The calls cost the police department and residents more than just monetarily. They take valuable time and resources from departments that could be used on real crimes. The Ashton Kutcher swatting call was estimated to have cost the city of Los Angeles $10,000.
It's not just celebrities being targeted. These swatting calls can be traced back to as early as 2002 and in 2012, high profile bloggers have been the target of these prank calls. An example is District Attorney Patrick Frey being targeted by a swatter. Another is Erick Erickson being targeted in the Atlanta area. Both bloggers had written about convicted felon Brett Kimberlin and assumed a connection. Kimberlin denies having anything to do with the swatting calls.
Check out the 911 call made to Patrick Frey's house. The caller claimed to be Frey and that he had killed his wife.
Most swatting calls go unsolved. So far, a 12 year old boy has been charged in connect with swatting calls to Bieber and Kutchers home. If you know of someone making prank emergency phone calls make sure to contact your local police department. The calls aren't funny and are very dangerous.
Make sure to check out your local crime map to stay up to date on crime in your area. Stay aware, stay safe!
Swatting is when a hacker pretends to be someone by hacking their phone line, cal\lling 911, and reporting a fake emergency to the victim's address - normally a kidnapping/hostages, bombings, shootings, or murders - which requires heavy police presence to respond to the home, sometimes with guns drawn, only to have police show up to find that the call was a hoax.
It seems to be an evolution of 'phreakers' who gained notice in the 1970s when they would hack into phone companies computers and make free long-distance calls.
These calls are very dangerous because they are similar to calls departments receive about real shootings or murders. The police show up ready for a crazy person, possibly armed, only to find innocent victims. Both officers and victims are placed in danger because either party may try to defend themselves. The seriousness of the call creates a scenario that holds so much confusion and panic, it's surprising the incidents haven't turned out for the worse.
The calls cost the police department and residents more than just monetarily. They take valuable time and resources from departments that could be used on real crimes. The Ashton Kutcher swatting call was estimated to have cost the city of Los Angeles $10,000.
It's not just celebrities being targeted. These swatting calls can be traced back to as early as 2002 and in 2012, high profile bloggers have been the target of these prank calls. An example is District Attorney Patrick Frey being targeted by a swatter. Another is Erick Erickson being targeted in the Atlanta area. Both bloggers had written about convicted felon Brett Kimberlin and assumed a connection. Kimberlin denies having anything to do with the swatting calls.
Check out the 911 call made to Patrick Frey's house. The caller claimed to be Frey and that he had killed his wife.
Most swatting calls go unsolved. So far, a 12 year old boy has been charged in connect with swatting calls to Bieber and Kutchers home. If you know of someone making prank emergency phone calls make sure to contact your local police department. The calls aren't funny and are very dangerous.
Make sure to check out your local crime map to stay up to date on crime in your area. Stay aware, stay safe!
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