What is Swatting?
A dangerous form of harassment where someone makes a false emergency report (bomb threat, hostage situation, active shooter) to send armed police or SWAT teams to a victim's address — potentially resulting in injury or death.
Also known as: SWAT-ing, Swat Attack, False Police Report Attack
Swatting is one of the most dangerous forms of online harassment — it weaponizes law enforcement against innocent people and has resulted in deaths.
How It Works
- Attacker obtains victim's home address (through doxxing, data brokers, or public records)
- Makes a false emergency call — typically reporting a shooting, hostage situation, or bomb threat at the victim's address
- Spoofs caller ID to appear as if the call is coming from the victim's area or even their phone number
- SWAT team or armed police arrive at the address, treating it as a life-threatening situation
- Victim is confronted by armed officers who believe they're responding to a deadly threat
Real Consequences
Deaths
- Andrew Finch (2017) — Shot and killed by police in Wichita, Kansas, after a swatting call over a $1.50 Call of Duty bet. The caller, the instigator, and the person who provided the wrong address were all charged.
- Mark Herring (2020) — 60-year-old suffered a fatal heart attack during a swatting incident in Tennessee
Common Targets
- Online gamers and streamers — Live-streamed swatting became a trend
- Journalists and public figures
- Politicians — Bomb threats have been called in to Congress members' homes
- Schools — Swatting threats to schools cause mass evacuations
- Judges and prosecutors — Targeted for rulings or charges
Why It's Hard to Prevent
- Caller ID spoofing makes calls untraceable in real time
- VoIP services allow calls from anywhere in the world
- Police must respond to emergency reports — they can't ignore a potential active shooter
- Data brokers make home addresses easily accessible
- No national anti-swatting registry exists (though some localities have voluntary programs)
How to Protect Yourself
- Remove your address from data brokers — this is the most important step. Use data removal services at /remove
- Use a registered agent for business filings — keep your home address off public records via /protect
- Contact local police non-emergency line — Some departments allow you to register as a potential swatting target ("swatting flag")
- Minimize personal information online — Don't share your location, home exterior photos, or neighborhood details
- Use a PO Box or private mailbox for all deliveries and registrations
- If swatted: Comply with officers calmly, then file a report and preserve all evidence
Related Terms
Anonymous LLC
A limited liability company formed in a state that does not require member or manager names in public filings, combined with a professional registered agent as the public address — so the real owner's identity is absent from the state's public record from day one.
Caller ID Spoofing
The practice of falsifying the phone number displayed on a recipient's caller ID to disguise the caller's identity — used by scammers to impersonate banks, government agencies, and known contacts to trick victims into answering and sharing information.
Doxxing
The malicious act of publicly revealing someone's private information — such as home address, phone number, or workplace — without their consent, often to enable harassment.
How to Remove Your Information Online
A practical guide to reducing your digital footprint by opting out of data brokers, deleting old accounts, removing search results, and minimizing future data exposure.
Online Stalking
The use of the internet and digital technology to monitor, harass, or intimidate a specific person, often escalating from online behavior to real-world threats.
Have more questions?
Use our guided flow to get the right next privacy step for Swatting.
Open Guided Flow