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Swatting

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For other uses, see Swat (disambiguation).

Swatting is an attempt to trick any emergency service (such as a 9-1-1 dispatcher) into dispatching any emergency response based on a false reporting of an incident. Incidents may range from large to small, from an entire SWAT unit to a fabricated police report meant to discredit an individual as a prank or personal vendetta. It is a misdemeanor or a felony in most states to report any untruth to law enforcement. The name "swatting" is derived from SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics), one type of such team.

History and current status

Swatting has its origins in prank calls to emergency services. Increasing sophistication of the techniques employed and the objectives, notably attempts to direct response units of particular types, and in particular attempts to cause SWAT teams to be dispatched to particular locations, spawned the term swatting. The term may have been coined by the FBI, which investigates these activities that are in the United States or are US-related.[1]

Blind phreaker Matthew Weigman pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy including "involvement in a swatting conspiracy" and attempting to retaliate against a witness.[2] He was sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison.[3]

Techniques

Caller ID spoofing, social engineering, prank call and phone phreaking techniques may be combined. 911 systems (including telephony and human operators) have been tricked by calls placed from cities hundreds of miles away. The caller typically places a 911 call using a spoofed phone number with the goal of tricking emergency authorities into responding to an address with a SWAT team to an emergency that doesn't exist.

Congressional involvement

CNN interviewed political commentator Erick Erickson to discuss an incident in which he had been the victim of swatting The caller to 911 claimed:

I just shot my wife, so.... I don't think I could come down there.... She's dead, now.... I'm looking at her.... I'm going to shoot someone else, soon.

— 911 caller, [4]

That incident prompted Sandy Adams to push for a Justice Department investigation.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Don't Make the Call: The New Phenomenon of 'Swatting'". Federal Bureau of Investigation. 4 Feb, 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Matthew Weigman Guilty Plea Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice, 29 January 2009, retrieved 10 July 2009
  3. ^ Blind Hacker Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison, Kevin Poulsen, Wired News, 29 June 2009, retrieved 10 July 2009
  4. ^ Shirek, Jon. "9-1-1 hoax snares conservative blogger". WXIA-TV Atlanta, Pacific and Southern Company, Inc. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  5. ^ "PICKET: FLA Congresswoman leads 85 member effort demanding Swat-ting investigation from DOJ". Washington Times. June 10, 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
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