FBI Warns of Swatting Amid a Wave of Politically Motivated Attacks
I recently reached out to the local sheriff’s office and did something I hadn’t previously expected would ever be on my radar: I asked that, if they ever receive a call regarding my residence that requires an emergency response, they keep in mind the high likelihood that it’s a hoax. I was assured that the word would be passed to the local commander and deputies. There was no surprise on their part at what would have been a weird request just a few years ago, for good reason. The director of the FBI and other government officials have been sounding the alarm about an uptick in swatting attacks, many of them targeted at people whose political opinions rub somebody the wrong way.
Swatting on the Rise
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is aware of multiple recent ‘swatting’ incidents,” according to an April 29 alert. “Swatting is the malicious tactic of making hoax calls or reports to emergency services, typically feigning an immediate threat to life. Swatting is intended to draw a large response from SWAT teams or other law enforcement resources to an unsuspecting victim’s location, causing chaos and the potential for injury or violence.”
The alert doesn’t go into political targeting. But on March 14, FBI Director Kash Patel posted, “I want to address the alarming rise in ‘Swatting’ incidents targeting media figures. The FBI is aware of this dangerous trend, and my team and I are already taking action to investigate and hold those responsible accountable.”
A few days later, Brendan Carr, chair of the Federal Communications Commission, similarly posted, “The recent surge in ‘swatting’ attacks against conservatives is a dangerous form of political violence. I’ve been in touch with law enforcement to ensure they have access to the trace back resources that locate a call’s originating point.”
Swatting has been a problem for years, with the term perhaps first used by the FBI in 2008. Even then, swatters were using technology to disguise their voices and make it look like calls originated at victims’ homes. In 2018, with swatting attacks occurring frequently enough to be a serious problem, the Seattle Police Department launched a voluntary registry to which people could add their names and address
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