Swatting
What is Swatting?
SwattingA criminal hoax in which a false emergency report is filed to provoke an armed police response, typically a SWAT team, against an unsuspecting victim's address.
Swatting is the act of placing a fake high-severity emergency call (bomb threat, hostage situation, active shooter) about a target's location to trigger a heavily armed law-enforcement intervention. Perpetrators often spoof caller ID or route calls through anonymising services and rely on prior doxxing or breach data to find the victim's address. The attack has caused fatalities, serious injuries, severe psychological trauma, and major property damage. Defences are mainly procedural and legal: protect home addresses, use opt-outs and address-removal services, enrol in police anti-swatting registries where available, harden online accounts to prevent doxxing, and report threats and doxxed information to law enforcement promptly.
● Examples
- 01
A fake 911 call claiming a hostage situation at a streamer's home, prompting a tactical police response.
- 02
Targeting a public official by reporting a non-existent bomb at their residence.
● Frequently asked questions
What is Swatting?
A criminal hoax in which a false emergency report is filed to provoke an armed police response, typically a SWAT team, against an unsuspecting victim's address. It belongs to the Attacks & Threats category of cybersecurity.
What does Swatting mean?
A criminal hoax in which a false emergency report is filed to provoke an armed police response, typically a SWAT team, against an unsuspecting victim's address.
How does Swatting work?
Swatting is the act of placing a fake high-severity emergency call (bomb threat, hostage situation, active shooter) about a target's location to trigger a heavily armed law-enforcement intervention. Perpetrators often spoof caller ID or route calls through anonymising services and rely on prior doxxing or breach data to find the victim's address. The attack has caused fatalities, serious injuries, severe psychological trauma, and major property damage. Defences are mainly procedural and legal: protect home addresses, use opt-outs and address-removal services, enrol in police anti-swatting registries where available, harden online accounts to prevent doxxing, and report threats and doxxed information to law enforcement promptly.
How do you defend against Swatting?
Defences for Swatting typically combine technical controls and operational practices, as detailed in the full definition above.
What are other names for Swatting?
Common alternative names include: SWAT hoax, False emergency hoax.
● Related terms
- attacks№ 355
Doxxing
Publishing or threatening to publish a person's private identifying information online with the intent to harass, intimidate, or facilitate harm.
- attacks№ 1021
Sextortion
Extortion based on the threat to publish or share intimate images, real or fabricated, unless the victim pays money or complies with further demands.
- attacks№ 1065
Social Engineering
The psychological manipulation of people into performing actions or disclosing confidential information that benefits an attacker.
- attacks№ 511
Identity Theft
The misuse of another person's personal information to impersonate them, open accounts, obtain credit, claim benefits, or commit other fraud.
- privacy№ 818
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Any data that can identify a specific individual on its own or when combined with other information, such as names, identifiers, or biometric records.
- attacks№ 275
Data Breach
A confirmed security incident in which an unauthorised party accesses, exfiltrates, or discloses sensitive, protected, or confidential information.