swatting
DESCRIPTION
As part of its commitment to keeping children safe and update parents with pertinent information, uKnowKids has designed a campaign to inform parents of the importance of teaching kids the repercussions that come with SWAT-ting. uKnowKids wants to ensure that kids understand that “certain calls could cost law enforcement up to $10,000 and that legislators are currently working on a law that will make SWAT-ting a four-year felony.”TRANSCRIPT
S.W.A.T.TINGinside a new trend in cyber crime
WHAT ISS.W.A.T.TING?Swatting is an attempt to trick an emergency service (such as a 9-1-1 dispatcher) into dispatching an emergency response team. The name is derived from SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics), one type of such team. Such actions places law enforcement and citizens at risk and are criminal actions. In addition it reduces law enforcement officer coverage and costs taxpayer money.
HOWS.W.A.T.TINGWORKS:
THEreprocussionsDepending on what resources are deployed, certain calls could cost law enforcement up to $10,000.
Many times, law enforcement uses the majority of their resources to respond to these false calls creating longer response times for real emergencies.
Legislators are working on a law that will make S.W.A.T.ting a four-year felony crime.
Lawmakers are also pushing for punishment to include reimbursement of all costs associated with the bogus call.
the methodsMany S.W.A.T.ters use a service like Spoofcard to disguise the origin of the prank call. These services also allow the user to disguise their voice and add background sound effects.
Other methods that S.W.A.T.ters use include Skype, pre-paid cell phones and paying an anonymous person to commit the “prank”.
the reasonsFrom the evidence collected in each case, it appears that an act of S.W.A.T.ting is committed as vengeful act on the victim.
Many teens who engage in online gaming, chat rooms or social media may be at risk of a S.W.A.T threat.
Currently, even politicians are being targeted from S.W.A.T.ting attacks as retaliation for certain beliefs or principles they have openly expressed.
KEEPYOUR KIDSTIPS TO
SAFENEWSIN THE
In June, a SWAT team arrived at a Long Island home in NY after receiving a call from a 17-year old claiming that he had shot and killed his mother and brother and that he might shoot others, only to learn that call was a hoax triggered by the loser of a “Call of Duty” video game. Police are still trying to identify the prankster, he called 911 using Skype. Police stated that this SWATting prank cost the department around $100,000.
In 2012, an unidentified teen sent the SWAT team, along with a bomb-detecting robot, to a Sarasota, Florida residence claiming that he had killed his family, and had a C-4 bomb attached to his body, threatening to detonate. Upon arrival, the 26-year old resident was handcuffed and his home was ransacked for evidence.
In 2011, a 16-year old from Boston called 911 claiming that his home was being raided by several men with guns. The boy directed the report to a Troy, Michigan residence. The police responded to the call, finding a woman and teen boy walking to a vehicle outside the home. When the officers approached the home, the teen began yelling, “Swatting! It’s a prank!” The teen responsible had threatened to “S.W.A.T.” the Troy teen while the two played online video games
REFRENCESwww.hackforums.net
www.spoofcards.comwww.dailytribune.com
www.theoaklandexpress.comwww.wikipedia.com
www.huffingtonpost.com
Educate yourself and your children about the dangers of S.W.A.T.ting
Communicate with your child about the severity of this so-called “prank”
Have rules and monitor your child’s actions onlineReport any suspicious activity
DO
DON’TAssume that blocking or filtering software will protect your child from S.W.A.T.ting
Believe that there is nothing you can do to stop your child or family from being a victim of S.W.A.T.ting
TO LEARN MORE ABOUTHOW TO PROTECT YOUR CHILD
& OTHER CYBERCRIMESVISIT www.uKnowkids.com