SWATTING - spoofing the swat team to respond on false call

[R_Bert]

Something else to worry about. Computer hacking of your phone for bad people to call police to your house to respond to violent crime.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/swatting-pranks-in-palm-city-result-in-deputies-2368006.html

[Timestepper]

Ummmm... I'm not gonna' sweat it right now because I haven't had my coffee yet. Is it alright with you if I try to find a couple of minutes later this afternoon to worry about it? (I promise to run around out in the yard and freak out over this for at least a minute and a half as soon as my schedule allows.)

[NRA]

[94user]

"An arriving deputy saw nothing suspicious and asked dispatchers to contact the resident. The homeowner appeared to have been waked up by the phone call and there looked to be no signs of a disturbance."

Waked up ?

[DaveTN]

Nothing happened. If continued the same technology the perps rely on will be what captures them.

I’m not worried about it; the primary Officers are going to check the scene first. Prank calls always have been a part of Police work.

[Timestepper]

"An arriving deputy saw nothing suspicious and asked dispatchers to contact the resident. The homeowner appeared to have been waked up by the phone call and there looked to be no signs of a disturbance."

Waked up ?

Saw that, frowned at it, chuckled at it. Must be 21st century literary newspeak for "awakened."

[Guest bkelm18]

"An arriving deputy saw nothing suspicious and asked dispatchers to contact the resident. The homeowner appeared to have been waked up by the phone call and there looked to be no signs of a disturbance."

Waked up ?

Waked is a word. Past tense of wake.

[Timestepper]

Waked is a word. Past tense of wake.

So when my buddy passed away a while back, after the traditional wake was over with, we could say that he'd been properly waked? Comforting thought. Thank you.

[Guest bkelm18]

So when my buddy passed away a while back, after the traditional wake was over with, we could say that he'd been properly waked? Comforting thought. Thank you.

Ummm... Yeah sure.

[R_Bert]

So when some jerk calls the POPO "from your home", describes an act of violence, resulting in your front door being broke down, and your unsuspecting family on the floor at gun point,: this is no big deal ?

It is happening. do a google on "swatting" prank.

[Timestepper]

The cops have been summoned to our place one time, at my request, because of something I'd found on our property that "made me uncomfortable." They had to call us back and ask for directions because they couldn't find our house. So no, I'm not overly concerned about them breaking in and holding us at gunpoint when they can't even find us. But again, I promise to worry about it very intensely for a few minutes later this afternoon on your behalf.

[daddyo]

Ever heard of a "no-knock" entry by police?

[Sam1]

Something else to worry about. Computer hacking of your phone for bad people to call police to your house to respond to violent crime.

http://www.palmbeach...es-2368006.html

Don't worry about it, that stuff is easy to track and it is covered under section VIII of the Patriot Act. Do it once get 5+ years, do it twice and it's 20+

Word will get around soon enough after a few of them wake up in prison for about 1500 days

Edited May 28, 2012 by Sam1

[DaveTN]

So when some jerk calls the POPO "from your home", describes an act of violence, resulting in your front door being broke down, and your unsuspecting family on the floor at gun point,: this is no big deal ?

Of course it would be a big deal, and it is certainly possible. But it would require a sequence of events to occur that are not likely to happen.

A person could see you open carrying and call the Police and say you were waving your gun around. Possible? Yes, likely, no.

[Dolomite_supafly]

This has been going on for years.

I remember reading about it at least 5 years ago if not longer.

Dolomite

[R_Bert]

/worryon:

Got it... .

/worryoff:

[Timestepper]

If there were an emoticon here for burying one's head in the sand, I would gladly use it towards myself if it would make you feel better.

If you perceive this as a real and present danger to yourself then you have every right to worry!

When I lived in Kansas I didn't worry about trees falling on my house because I didn't have much in the way of trees on my property close enough to reach the house if they fell. Here in East Tennessee I have literally wall to wall trees and it's a real concern, but I no longer worry about Winter blizzards piling snow six feet deep in my driveway.

In other words, I pick and choose and prioritize my worries according to the likelihood that they'll actually occur. If the cops have to call for directions, then I doubt that I have to worry very much about the likelihood that they'll break in and hold me and mine at gunpoint because someone hacked my phone. At the same time, I hope and pray that it never happens to you and, again, I promise to worry about it your behalf later on if you'll just be patient.

For right now though, I'm still more worried about whether or not I'll be able to move the new rabbit hutch by myself from where it's at to where I want it so yours will just have to wait for a little while - I PROMISE I'll get to it as soon as possible.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

The problem with the "swatting" is that it is being used

to shut up free speech. That Kimberling guy, who is a

convicted felon and a Democrat radical, well bomber,

not unlike Bill Ayers, has been using this tactic against

conservative bloggers and reporters. He has gotten

funds from Barbara Streisand, sounds harmless, and

George Soros via Tides Foundation. If that's the kind

of stuff that doesn't bother you, I'm sorry for you. It

happened to Redstate founder Eric Erikson recently,

among others.

I think it's pretty crappy and criminal behavior that

needs to stop.

Kimberling was convicted of bombing in the 70's, and

several other felonies. He is a democrat activist, but

that's not important until you put the pieces together

with everything else going on in the country, lately.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Volzfan]

I don't want to have that happen to me but the situations described don't usually involve immediate storming of the house. As long as the responding officers don't break down my door but call 1st to set up a line of communication then I'm OK.

Is this a criminal act? Yes.

Does it need to be stopped? Yes.

Am I going to worry about it? No.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

No one asked you to, but some day you might

worry when your speech is defined by threats

or imprisonment. Free speech is fundamental

to our liberty, just as the right to protect ourselves.

They go hand in hand. Maybe that's why both

were put in the Bill of Rights?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kckndrgn]

Looks like this happened recently in Lakeland, TN

http://wreg.com/2013/06/19/lakeland-family-target-of-dangerous-swatting-prank/

[Guest Emtdaddy1980]

I'd hate to think of what could unravel if this occurred and the unsuspecting homeowner ended up trading rounds with the perceived intruders coming through the door.

[Guest Keal G Seo]

Okay, first to address the "waked". It is a word- verb meaning to emerge from sleep. Granted it doesn't hit the ear nicely, it is still correct English...probably a yankee :P

As for the OP, this has been happening for a while. They don't have to hack your phone at all, it is called "Caller ID spoofing" (there are even online services to do it for you) so that unless they initiate a full track on the phone call they get your name, phone number, address etc. All they need is an internet connection that can't be tied to them. Many PDs have learned of this already though so any calls coming from the relay service are investigated normally first before sending SWAT anymore.

This used to be a lot more dangerous situation and still can be. Used to, SWAT would just kick in your door and ask questions later. Now there is still the threat of a cop sneaking around your house in the dark peeping in the windows to evaluate the situation and you drawing down on them not realizing who it is or why they are there.

One thing to realize here is that unless it happens to your address regularly and the "victim" calls in the violent act they aren't going to call back (for the perpetrators to answer and be alerted) to get directions. They are only going to call first if they think it is fake.

Lastly, the law. Yes it is illegal but unless someone doesn't take 5 minutes to look up how to do it correctly they wont be caught. If they are using a relay service, they probably looked up how to do it, and an internet source like public wifi they can't be tied to that call. Sure there are steep penalties for it, it is just a hard crime to be caught on.

[Hershmeister]

Surely the NSA could identify the swatters

[Guest Keal G Seo]

Surely the NSA could identify the swatters

Not unless they were putting a bug on your computer when you used the relay service and then waited for you to log on with that computer from home.

The reason it is so hard to get busted is that it is just a browser app you use, nothing to download. Using a public wifi spot it can't be tied any further to you than maybe your city, i assume you stay in the same city...no real point in driving out of town. So yeah they would have to infect every computer that used relay service, while I wouldn't put it past them right now I just don't think they would have the resources to go back through every chat or key logger transcript.

Just for reference everyone should try the relay service, it is free (not really, paid with taxes) and you can just call yourself or order a pizza or something. It will show you how easy it is to use.