WARNING from fbi about "swatters"? i never heard of this
"... in the 1970s, when a magazine reported on a small group of techie troublemakers who were hacking into phone companies computers and making free long-distance calls.
Today, theres a new, much more serious twist on this old crime. Its called swatting, and it involves calling 9-1-1 and faking an emergency that draws a response from law enforcementusually a SWAT team.
Needless to say, these calls are dangerous to first responders and to the victims. The callers often tell tales of hostages about to be executed or bombs about to go off. The community is placed in danger as responders rush to the scene, taking them away from real emergencies. And the officers are placed in danger as unsuspecting residents may try to defend themselves.
Last year, for example, a 19-year-old Washington state man was charged by California authorities after pretending to be calling from the home of a married California couple, saying he had just shot and murdered someone. A local SWAT team arrived on the scene, and the husband, who had been asleep in his home with his wife and two young children, heard something and went outside to investigateafter first stopping in the kitchen to pick up a knife. What he found was a group of SWAT assault rifles aimed directly at him. Fortunately, the situation didnt escalate, and no one was injured.
The schemes can also be fairly sophisticated. Consider the following case investigated by our Dallas office recently in concert with a range of partners:
Five swatters in several states targeted people who were using online telephone party chat lines (or their family or friends).
The swatters found personal details on the victims by accessing telecommunication company information stored on protected computers.
Then, by manipulating computer and phone equipment, they called 9-1-1 operators around the country. By using spoofing technology, the swatters even made it look like the calls were actually coming from the victims!
Between 2002 and 2006, the five swatters called 9-1-1 lines in more than 60 cities nationwide, impacting more than 100 victims, causing a disruption of services for telecommunications providers and emergency responders, and resulting in up to $250,000 in losses.
Swats that the group committed included using bomb threats at sporting events, causing the events to be delayed; claiming that hotel visitors were armed and dangerous, causing an evacuation of the entire hotel; and making threats against public parks and officials.
Case work. The swatters were tracked down through the cooperative efforts of local, state, and federal agencies and the assistance of telecommunications providers and first responders. In all, the case involved more than 40 state and local jurisdictions in about a dozen states. All five subjects have pled guilty to various charges and are scheduled to be sentenced in 2008.
Why did they do it? Said Kevin Kolbye, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of our Dallas office: Individuals did it for the bragging rights and ego, versus any monetary gain. Basically, they did it because they could.
Law enforcement agencies at all levels are currently working with telecommunications providers around the country to help them address swatting activity.
You can help, tooif you believe youve been a victim of a swat please contact your local FBI office."
Today, theres a new, much more serious twist on this old crime. Its called swatting, and it involves calling 9-1-1 and faking an emergency that draws a response from law enforcementusually a SWAT team.
Needless to say, these calls are dangerous to first responders and to the victims. The callers often tell tales of hostages about to be executed or bombs about to go off. The community is placed in danger as responders rush to the scene, taking them away from real emergencies. And the officers are placed in danger as unsuspecting residents may try to defend themselves.
Last year, for example, a 19-year-old Washington state man was charged by California authorities after pretending to be calling from the home of a married California couple, saying he had just shot and murdered someone. A local SWAT team arrived on the scene, and the husband, who had been asleep in his home with his wife and two young children, heard something and went outside to investigateafter first stopping in the kitchen to pick up a knife. What he found was a group of SWAT assault rifles aimed directly at him. Fortunately, the situation didnt escalate, and no one was injured.
The schemes can also be fairly sophisticated. Consider the following case investigated by our Dallas office recently in concert with a range of partners:
Five swatters in several states targeted people who were using online telephone party chat lines (or their family or friends).
The swatters found personal details on the victims by accessing telecommunication company information stored on protected computers.
Then, by manipulating computer and phone equipment, they called 9-1-1 operators around the country. By using spoofing technology, the swatters even made it look like the calls were actually coming from the victims!
Between 2002 and 2006, the five swatters called 9-1-1 lines in more than 60 cities nationwide, impacting more than 100 victims, causing a disruption of services for telecommunications providers and emergency responders, and resulting in up to $250,000 in losses.
Swats that the group committed included using bomb threats at sporting events, causing the events to be delayed; claiming that hotel visitors were armed and dangerous, causing an evacuation of the entire hotel; and making threats against public parks and officials.
Case work. The swatters were tracked down through the cooperative efforts of local, state, and federal agencies and the assistance of telecommunications providers and first responders. In all, the case involved more than 40 state and local jurisdictions in about a dozen states. All five subjects have pled guilty to various charges and are scheduled to be sentenced in 2008.
Why did they do it? Said Kevin Kolbye, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of our Dallas office: Individuals did it for the bragging rights and ego, versus any monetary gain. Basically, they did it because they could.
Law enforcement agencies at all levels are currently working with telecommunications providers around the country to help them address swatting activity.
You can help, tooif you believe youve been a victim of a swat please contact your local FBI office."
Replies
People are so destructive! It kind of makes me think of Leopold and Loeb. Who thought that their superior intellect gave them license to kill. That they were above normal moral standards. How unfortunate that people this intelligent and talented should put their talents to uses in this fashion. Thanks for the interesting read (as usual). Hugs, ~E
I know about this. It just happened yesterday up North here. And yes it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring out all the police and the swat teams.
I hate to say this, but our Country is lacking in moral quality and leadership, in SO many areas. Gun usage is WAY up. Senseless murders are way up. Mentally unstable people can easily buy a gun, or any other weapon on the internet, and parenting has become a thing of the past, so kids (very young kids) are all into drugs and boos and guns, porn, and illegal activities.
Something is really wrong here. I believe that the beginning of it all is to re-establish the family unit. Parents need to watch their kids, like you watch your precious furbabies. And IMHO throwing God out of everything hasn\'t done us very much good......has it!!!
Why are some people so cruel? Not to compliment criminal\'s but it does take a bit of knowledge to do this. Why can\'t they use their knowledge for good instead of evil?
They need to put these guy\'s UNDER the jail. But it\'s pretty scary to think they did it because they could.
they need to start teaching civics in allll the elementary schools again at the very least. they can\'t know what they are never taught.
i remember the long distance scams, but i thought it was via credit cards, i never knew it was a techie thing at all and i remember it being in the 80\'s, so much for me. lol.
a swat team at your house could give you a heart attack. it really isn\'t funny at all. if they have that much time on their hands, if they had a job or community service....so much needs to be done out there, do they even KNOW they are supposed to be working studying/hobbies playing sports or doing charity work, those are the options. there isn\'t anything else.
THIS IS SO EVIL, TERRIBLE, JUST A WAY TO GET INNOCENT PEOPLE KILLLED, YES ITS DANGEROUS..