What is a swatting call & how to protect yourself from risky call

“What is a swatting call?” is a question that confuses many individuals and influencers these days. It is a bad form of pranking someone that is dangerous and a waste of resources. It entails the act of calling police to report a false emergency. This is aimed at causing a fast armed police action against a specific address. Such calls usually report about active shooters, bomb threats or hostages. Swatting is a word derived out of SWAT, or Special Weapons and Tactics, the police forces that are deployed in situations that are considered to be of high risk. Swatting is not a joke. It is a crime of serious consequences in real life. There is trauma, injury or even death of victims in some cases.

In this article, you will see what swatting meaning is and how to defend yourself and your family. It addresses the history of swatting, the practices of swatting, and its legal implications. It also gives practical measures to avert and act on such incidences.

The dangerous prank explained: what is a swatting call?

Swatting prank call is an intentional deception. The offender calls the emergency and reports a violent crime. They can report a mass shooting, domestic abuse, or a suicide bomber. The call is supposed to be believable and desperate. The dispatchers that are trained in the field of responding to threats dispatch police, in most cases SWAT teams, to the area. Police officers come in with complete tactical equipment in case of a situation that could result in fatality. They do not know it is a prank. This poses a risky condition to all parties.

The origin and evolution of swatting call

Online gaming communities first employed swatting in the early 2000s. It was an act of revenge by gamers in cases of conflict. Swatting became the going name due to the intention of pranksters to dispatch SWAT teams to homes of their competitors. The term is included in official reports of the FBI by 2008. The swatting attacks have brought the practice to the attention of the general population in 2013 with celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher and Tom Cruise being victims. These accidents pointed at the increased danger of this prank.  

Over time, swatting evolved. It went outside of the gaming world to attack journalists, politicians, and activists. As of 2022, U.S. federal judge Emmet G. Sullivan was swatted. In 2023, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows was also targeted after Trump was removed by her off a primary ballot. These instances demonstrate that swatting is now employed to harass prominent people. This has facilitated the accessibility of personal information due to the emergence of social media and doxing. Swatting has turned into a harassment and political harassment tool. Luckily, Swatting cases are now monitored using FBI national database to enhance response and prevention.

Explore the scheme: how does a swatting call work?

Perpetrators often orchestrate swatting calls in a planned, methodical way. To begin with, the attacker picks a target. They collect personal information, including an address or a phone number. This data is frequently obtained through social media, data brokers or doxing. After that, the swatter spoofs the caller ID to conceal his identity. They lead to believe that the victim is making the call. The intruder then dials 911 making a report about an emergency of violence. They can adopt voice altering software in order to sound believable.

The dispatcher receiving the 911 call thinks that the call is real and dispatches the police. Authorities deploy SWAT teams when they judge a threat to be high risk. Police come with guns loaded, and ready to deal with a hostile situation. Unaware victims can be injured or killed during the raid. The attacker will usually monitor the reaction using smart home cameras or live video feeds. This provides some mental inhumanity to the offense.

Common tricks used to target victims in swatting call

Swatting offenders utilize high-tech methods to escape capture. Attackers often use caller ID spoofing as one method. It enables the attacker to present a bogus number, most of the time the one belonging to the victim. They can either make use of the Voice over IP (VoIP) services or virtual private networks (VPNs) to conceal their location. Some attackers exploit TTY relay systems (meant for the hearing impaired) to bypass caller validation.

Another strategy is social engineering. The attackers extract personal information on the open profiles or data broker websites. They rely on this information in order to make this 911 call more credible. As an illustration, they can include the name of the victim, his/her address or relatives. There are instances when hackers have access to computers of smart homes. Attackers monitor police responses via cameras and speakers and communicate with officers. These tricks increase the difficulty of swatting.

Who are the targets of swatting?

The victims of swatting belong to every group in society. Yet, some groups of people are more under threat. Online rivalries usually target gamers and streamers. In 2019, champion Fortnite player Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf was swatted during a live stream. Other streamers, including DrLupo and Ninja, have also faced swatting attempts.

Celebrities are not an exception. Swatting is one of the forms of harassment of celebrities, politicians, and journalists. In 2022, the streamer Clara (Keffals) Sorrenti, a transgender woman, suffered a hate-based swatting attack. Election workers and law enforcement officials have not been left out as well particularly in politically charged periods. Ordinary citizens can become victims if hackers leak their information. It is estimated that in the U.S. approximately 1,000 swatting cases happen annually by the Anti-Defamation League.

How does swatting affect society and the community?

Swatting is not only detrimental to the victim. It squanders valuable law enforcement funds. The average cost of each incident is 10,000 in response and time spent by the police. In 2023, swatting had cost the U.S. taxpayers more than 82 million. These are emergency response, lost time and emotional trauma. Officers diverted on fake emergency can delay attendance to the actual emergency victims.

Swatting incidents terrorize and disturb communities. Schools on lockdown have a massive impact on the students and parents. Companies can go out of business and local areas can be unsafe. By 2025, authorities reported over 400 school swatting incidents. This movement indicates that swatting is not a mere online joke anymore, but a national crisis concerning the safety of the people. The psychological effects on the victims may take years to sort through. Moreover, families may need counseling, and public trust in emergency services can erode.

How to recognize the swatting call fraud?

It is possible to prevent damage by identifying a swatting call. Emergency dispatchers can identify red flags that suggest a call may be a hoax. These can be:

• Recognizing suspicious call patterns: Spoofed number calls, relay calls, and out-of-area calls might be suspicious.
• Caller’s refusal to share information: In case the caller is unwilling to provide information about his name or place of residence, it might be a hoax.
• Connection to online conflicts or threats: Swatting calls sometimes mimic prior online conflicts or known threats. The call seems exaggerated or unusually dramatic compared to typical emergency reports.

Once the swatting call fraud has been recognized, Victims can also take steps. In case of threats via the Internet, contact local police. In some cities such as Seattle, there are opt-in high-risk individual registries. This enables police to confirm the call and, in the meantime, use necessary force. All in all, being vigilant on the internet can make you identify when you are at risk.

Can swatting be prevented? Methods to protect yourself or your family

The first step is to prevent the disclosure of personal information. Do not leave your address, telephone numbers, or day-to-day routine on the Internet. Put on robust privacy policies in social media. Take your data off data broker websites with a service like Incogni. Use complex and unique passwords and use multi-factor authentication.

Parental control software such as FlashGet Kids can also come in handy to families. Parents use these applications to monitor children’s internet use and block suspicious apps. Through such apps, parents will be able to avoid information sharing and doxing among kids. From there, you can teach the children the Internet safety and the risks of swatting. Also, don’t forget to hide their IP address with the help of VPN. In case you feel threatened, then call the local law enforcement and make a report.

What to do if you are swatted?

The first and the most important thing is to remain calm in case of swatting. From there, you should:

• Avoid any sudden or suspicious movements: Responding officers might perceive sudden movements as dangerous. Hold your hands above your head and take no sudden moves. Give full compliance with any instruction of the police without arguing and opposing even when you are aware that the situation is a hoax. Officers treat the call as a credible threat until they verify otherwise.
• Stay connected with dispatchers (if possible): In the event that it is possible, attempt to maintain the dispatchers on the line throughout the incident so that they can give live updates. Once the law enforcement saves the situation and proves that it was a fake call, prepare a comprehensive police report. Gather any possible evidence data of security camera videos, telephone records, or eyewitness testimony to help in the investigation.
• File a detailed police report once safe: Record the case with the federal authorities, including the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) of the FBI, so that they can come up with the culprits and stop swatting attacks in the future.
• Address any emotional or psychological impact: Swatting can be traumatic. It is advisable to seek the help of mental health professionals, family, or friends in order to overcome any emotional impact.
• Take preventive and protective measures: In addition to this, communicate to local law enforcement in advance when you feel threatened so that they can be ready. Enhance privacy over the internet to minimize the targeted information leak. The most important thing when swatted is to remain calm and cooperative and proactive so as to be completely safe.

Wrap up

Swatting is a serious offense with real consequences. It threatens lives, is resource wasteful, and rearranges communities. So, you need to be proactive to avoid such situations. Apply robust internet security tools, restrict sharing of personal information and train your family accordingly. Tools like FlashGet Kids can help protect children online. From there, you just have to stay informed and vigilant. Overall, awareness and decisive action can help stop this dangerous trend.

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