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"Swatting" becoming a real problem. 400 cases per year, one of which was featured on ABC tonight.

i_own_ui_own_u Member UncommonPosts: 314

http://abcnews.go.com/US/video-captures-colorado-cops-swarming-swatting-prank/story?id=25158294

The fact even that it is called "Swatting" and has a slang term makes me sick.

Thousands of tax dollars are spent per call...

People expect gamers to be taken seriously and then pull this crap? 

 

/end rant

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Comments

  • iridescenceiridescence Member UncommonPosts: 1,552

    Faking a shooting spree in Littleton, Co.  of all places? Yeah that's some hardcore douchebaggery. I hope they catch whoever did it and give them maybe a couple of years with a nice big cell mate to think it over.

     

  • DamonVileDamonVile Member UncommonPosts: 4,818
    I think internet " pranks" in general that end up involving cops/FBI or whatever need to be dealt with more harshly. It's starting to become far to common and seriously these people have better things to do than figure out who's dumbass kid thinks it's funny to be a pest.
  • i_own_ui_own_u Member UncommonPosts: 314
    Originally posted by DamonVile
    I think internet " pranks" in general that end up involving cops/FBI or whatever need to be dealt with more harshly. It's starting to become far to common and seriously these people have better things to do than figure out who's dumbass kid thinks it's funny to be a pest.

    Apparently you can "face up to 5 years in prison." To be honest, I don't know if that's a harsh enough punishment.

    This is taking officers potentially away from legitimate crime scenes to deal with this bullshit. 

  • forcelimaforcelima Member UncommonPosts: 232

    Not only wasted tax dollars but also the potential situation of the home owner defending his home cause shit moves pretty fast and engages with the police. The potential loss of life is also high. You already have situation where this has happened when police serve warrent on the wrong address. So I could see this happening in "swatting" cases.

  • Ariel_ArilonAriel_Arilon Member UncommonPosts: 50

    Since I don't own a TV, and being limited to a dial-up modem (too far out in the country), would you please explain what "swatting" is? I've never heard of this before.

    My computer beats me in Strip Poker, but doesn't stand a chance against my Kick Boxing! >: D 3

  • Swatting is when you call a SWAT (a specialised police force) team to someone else's house as a joke or because you got mad they shot you in a Counterstrike match. For example by saying the person plans to do a school shooting or something.

    http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/surprise/2014/07/17/12news-video-game-smack-talk-taken-too-far/12795549/?hootPostID=2b3c7307a01aea6d2610281082e1095b

    Needless to say, it is extremely disrespectful of both the victim and the SWAT team, not to mention dangerous and a waste of resources.

  • Ariel_ArilonAriel_Arilon Member UncommonPosts: 50

    Eeeeeep! =: O

    Thank you for explaining that. I pray that no one gets hurt.

    My computer beats me in Strip Poker, but doesn't stand a chance against my Kick Boxing! >: D 3

  • Saur0nSaur0n Member UncommonPosts: 114
    There's an easy way to avoid being "Swatted".  All you have to do is refrain from talking shit to people you don't know over the internet.   Especially when you don't know how to secure your personal info on social media...Social engineering isn't anything new.  Plus, it's not like a false raid is costing more tax dollars than swat teams buying military surplus that they don't need without telling anyone...
  • breadm1xbreadm1x Member UncommonPosts: 374

    I realy dont get it, if i make a call like that here. they know where i am at the same time i make the call.

    (they have the same thing in the USA since 911, it uses its IMEI and number and antenna used to make the call)

    If i then say i am gonna drive over my neighburs grandmother and then shoot her or somthing.

    They dont send in the marines or anything.

    Let me get this staight, they are able to listen in on Angela Merkels phone in Germany but cant trace a prank call to its owner ?

     

    I dont get it why they send in a SWAT team anyways based on a simple call.

     

    B Roekens

    Moutmolen 1C

    1703TJ Heerhugowaard

    Netherlands

     

    SWAT  me. (fat chance)

     

    b.t.w. the guy in the video is

    Jordan Matthewson

    1563 Broadway Street Littleton

    Colorado 80120-4544

    United States

     

     

     

     

     


  • Solar_ProphetSolar_Prophet Member EpicPosts: 1,960
    Originally posted by Saur0n
    There's an easy way to avoid being "Swatted".  All you have to do is refrain from talking shit to people you don't know over the internet.   Especially when you don't know how to secure your personal info on social media...Social engineering isn't anything new.  Plus, it's not like a false raid is costing more tax dollars than swat teams buying military surplus that they don't need without telling anyone...

    Don't need? So you know what kind of situations every police department which purchased some faces? You are able to calculate the current and possible future needs of every law enforcement agency in the country?

    Besides, it's a couple of HumVees and some body armor, not bazookas, land mines, attack helicopters, and so forth. Get over it. Furthermore, this is a much more serious situation due to the fact that people very well could get hurt or killed.

    Oh, and who are they supposed to tell? The federal government oversees the sale, and state (and sometimes local) governments need to approve an expenditure like that. So everyone who should know, does know.

    As for avoiding being 'swatted', some people will do it just because you beat them in an online game. The only way to protect against that is not to play online games, essentially.

    AN' DERE AIN'T NO SUCH FING AS ENUFF DAKKA, YA GROT! Enuff'z more than ya got an' less than too much an' there ain't no such fing as too much dakka. Say dere is, and me Squiggoff'z eatin' tonight!

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  • Saur0nSaur0n Member UncommonPosts: 114
    Originally posted by breadm1x

    I realy dont get it, if i make a call like that here. they know where i am at the same time i make the call.

    (they have the same thing in the USA since 911, it uses its IMEI and number and antenna used to make the call)

    If i then say i am gonna drive over my neighburs grandmother and then shoot her or somthing.

    They dont send in the marines or anything.

    Let me get this staight, they are able to listen in on Angela Merkels phone in Germany but cant trace a prank call to its owner ?

     

     

    There are ways around that.  Dial-out phone confs for example.  You can also bounce through various proxy lines. 

  • Saur0nSaur0n Member UncommonPosts: 114
    Originally posted by Solar_Prophet
    Originally posted by Saur0n
    There's an easy way to avoid being "Swatted".  All you have to do is refrain from talking shit to people you don't know over the internet.   Especially when you don't know how to secure your personal info on social media...Social engineering isn't anything new.  Plus, it's not like a false raid is costing more tax dollars than swat teams buying military surplus that they don't need without telling anyone...

    Don't need? So you know what kind of situations every police department which purchased some faces? You are able to calculate the current and possible future needs of every law enforcement agency in the country?

    Besides, it's a couple of HumVees and some body armor, not bazookas, land mines, attack helicopters, and so forth. Get over it. Furthermore, this is a much more serious situation due to the fact that people very well could get hurt or killed.

    Oh, and who are they supposed to tell? The federal government oversees the sale, and state (and sometimes local) governments need to approve an expenditure like that. So everyone who should know, does know.

    As for avoiding being 'swatted', some people will do it just because you beat them in an online game. The only way to protect against that is not to play online games, essentially.

    The federal government does not oversee the sales.  The companies the pentagon contract to make their gear end up with surplus that they then sell to whoever they want.   Unless you've been living in a hole the last few weeks you'd know that it's a lot more than humvees and body armor.   Everything a police outfit purchases is on record.  Yet where are the records of them buying LRAD systems and urban assault vehicles?  They magically disappear...

  • PioneerStewPioneerStew Member Posts: 874
    Originally posted by breadm1x

    I realy dont get it, if i make a call like that here. they know where i am at the same time i make the call.

    (they have the same thing in the USA since 911, it uses its IMEI and number and antenna used to make the call)

    If i then say i am gonna drive over my neighburs grandmother and then shoot her or somthing.

    They dont send in the marines or anything.

    Let me get this staight, they are able to listen in on Angela Merkels phone in Germany but cant trace a prank call to its owner ?

     

    I dont get it why they send in a SWAT team anyways based on a simple call.

     

    B Roekens

    Moutmolen 1C

    1703TJ Heerhugowaard

    Netherlands

     

    SWAT  me. (fat chance)

     

    b.t.w. the guy in the video is

    Jordan Matthewson

    1563 Broadway Street Littleton

    Colorado 80120-4544

    United States

     

     

     

     

     

    Different cultures I guess.  In the UK you would probably get the nearest bobby on the beat to do a driveby and confirm the call before anything further happened.  Then you would probably have a negotiating team.  However, if someone shouted terrorist you might get an Armed Response Unit turn up.  

    I think it is just that there is a less of a gun culture here.  It means that negotiation seems to be the first response rather than running around shooting stuff like you've watched one too many action movies.  

  • breadm1xbreadm1x Member UncommonPosts: 374

    Yeah..

    The problems starts to come when the peeps that get "pranked" think the swat team is a prank to.

    They act up start doing weird stuff, and then get shot by the SWAT team.


  • a63ntorangea63ntorange Member Posts: 26
    You just pay cash for a prepay shit cell phone like illegals use, and dump it after. Untraceable, as long as you don't stand by the trash can, and leave no prints on it.
  • NIIINIII Member UncommonPosts: 113
    Originally posted by Saur0n
    There's an easy way to avoid being "Swatted".  All you have to do is refrain from talking shit to people you don't know over the internet.

    Completely wrong.

     

    Just earlier today I got raged at by someone on CS:GO and I didn't even have my mic on, nor did I type to anyone.

    An entire team got mad at me the other day BECAUSE I didn't talk.

     

    People in these kinds of games will rage about anything. If you're not pissing one person off you are another. If you do something, someone's mad, if you do nothing, someone's mad.

     

    Personally, I believe it to be an age thing. If not that, then maturity. It's not that people shouldn't take the game seriously, they should just be able to handle the stress/responsibility of playing a PvP game. This kind of behavior goes hand in hand with the selfish attitude of the crowd quick to call 'kill steals', and blame others for their losses.

     

    Also two wrongs don't make a right, etc.

  • jesteralwaysjesteralways Member RarePosts: 2,560
    Originally posted by DamonVile
    I think internet " pranks" in general that end up involving cops/FBI or whatever need to be dealt with more harshly. It's starting to become far to common and seriously these people have better things to do than figure out who's dumbass kid thinks it's funny to be a pest.

    Send them in prison for 10 years, put them in the same cell with serial killers with tendency to kill on sight. that will make these lifeless morons think at least 100 times before pulling these kind of pranks. but i guess as they live in usa, as long as they don't subscribe to certain religious label they are let go easy.

    Boobs are LIFE, Boobs are LOVE, Boobs are JUSTICE, Boobs are mankind's HOPES and DREAMS. People who complain about boobs have lost their humanity.

  • Saur0nSaur0n Member UncommonPosts: 114
    Originally posted by NIII
    Originally posted by Saur0n
    There's an easy way to avoid being "Swatted".  All you have to do is refrain from talking shit to people you don't know over the internet.

    Completely wrong.

     

    Just earlier today I got raged at by someone on CS:GO and I didn't even have my mic on, nor did I type to anyone.

    An entire team got mad at me the other day BECAUSE I didn't talk.

     

    People in these kinds of games will rage about anything. If you're not pissing one person off you are another. If you do something, someone's mad, if you do nothing, someone's mad.

     

    Personally, I believe it to be an age thing. If not that, then maturity. It's not that people shouldn't take the game seriously, they should just be able to handle the stress/responsibility of playing a PvP game. This kind of behavior goes hand in hand with the selfish attitude of the crowd quick to call 'kill steals', and blame others for their losses.

     

    Also two wrongs don't make a right, etc.

    Raging is one thing.  That's their fault.  If they can find your name and address, that's your fault.  And even if they did get your personal info, you'd really have to push them to get them to act. 

     

  • NIIINIII Member UncommonPosts: 113
    Originally posted by Saur0n
    Originally posted by NIII
    Originally posted by Saur0n
    There's an easy way to avoid being "Swatted".  All you have to do is refrain from talking shit to people you don't know over the internet.

    snip

    Raging is one thing.  That's their fault.  If they can find your name and address, that's you're fault.

     

    And that's why I only quoted a single part of your post. I agree with your statement on privacy, to a point. ^^

    There wouldn't be a reason to keep your information private if not for the person doing a wrong.

  • MagikarpsGhostMagikarpsGhost Member RarePosts: 689
    The fact that "Gamers" have to resort to this kind of stupidity is saddening. My friend had this happen to him because he beat some little prick on CoD a few months ago. Its nothing new sadly but it is within the past 4 years. So newish i guess you could say, its usually done by those who are to lazy or un skileld to better them self in a game so they remove the competition all togeather. I honestly think this should be 20+ years in jail for it seeing how your abusing the 911 system and tax dollars not to mention the risk invovled.

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  • syntax42syntax42 Member UncommonPosts: 1,378
    Originally posted by Saur0n
    Plus, it's not like a false raid is costing more tax dollars than swat teams buying military surplus that they don't need without telling anyone...

    This makes you sound as if you have no idea what you are talking about.  They don't get to just spend money on a whim.  It isn't like they say, "No swat calls today so I'll go out and buy a bunch of guns."  They have a budget and the department head usually makes the decisions on how to spend that budget.  

    The only part about government budgeting that I don't agree with is that if you don't spend all of your budget, they take some away next year.  This only encourages spending to the limit of the budget to ensure your budget doesn't shrink.  It is likely that at the end of the fiscal year they decided to spend their excess on some things they felt were needing to be replaced or upgraded.

     

    The real cost here is that the police could be doing something better than responding to fake calls.  They get paid if they sit in the office, their car, or if they go out on a call.  The gas money to transport them is usually negligible.

  • Saur0nSaur0n Member UncommonPosts: 114
    Originally posted by syntax42
    Originally posted by Saur0n
    Plus, it's not like a false raid is costing more tax dollars than swat teams buying military surplus that they don't need without telling anyone...

    This makes you sound as if you have no idea what you are talking about.  They don't get to just spend money on a whim.  It isn't like they say, "No swat calls today so I'll go out and buy a bunch of guns."  They have a budget and the department head usually makes the decisions on how to spend that budget.  

    The only part about government budgeting that I don't agree with is that if you don't spend all of your budget, they take some away next year.  This only encourages spending to the limit of the budget to ensure your budget doesn't shrink.  It is likely that at the end of the fiscal year they decided to spend their excess on some things they felt were needing to be replaced or upgraded.

     

    The real cost here is that the police could be doing something better than responding to fake calls.  They get paid if they sit in the office, their car, or if they go out on a call.  The gas money to transport them is usually negligible.

    Yeah and I'm sure we can all trust those department heads to be honest... And why would they need to replace or upgrade to assault vehicles and M4s to do police work?  

  • syntax42syntax42 Member UncommonPosts: 1,378
    Originally posted by Saur0n
    Originally posted by syntax42
    Originally posted by Saur0n
    Plus, it's not like a false raid is costing more tax dollars than swat teams buying military surplus that they don't need without telling anyone...

    This makes you sound as if you have no idea what you are talking about.  They don't get to just spend money on a whim.  It isn't like they say, "No swat calls today so I'll go out and buy a bunch of guns."  They have a budget and the department head usually makes the decisions on how to spend that budget.  

    The only part about government budgeting that I don't agree with is that if you don't spend all of your budget, they take some away next year.  This only encourages spending to the limit of the budget to ensure your budget doesn't shrink.  It is likely that at the end of the fiscal year they decided to spend their excess on some things they felt were needing to be replaced or upgraded.

     

    The real cost here is that the police could be doing something better than responding to fake calls.  They get paid if they sit in the office, their car, or if they go out on a call.  The gas money to transport them is usually negligible.

    Yeah and I'm sure we can all trust those department heads to be honest... And why would they need to replace or upgrade to assault vehicles and M4s to do police work?  

    You seem to think they have the ability to abuse their position and spend money on whatever they want without getting caught.  The entire government is full of oversight on top of oversight.  It is very difficult to get away with abusing government money for very long.  Someone will notice if money isn't matching up to what was reported by someone.  The bigger the loss, the more the media tends to sensationalize it.

    Governments are not perfect, but you seem to lack any sort of faith in them.  Go work in a government position before trying to declare the system is as corrupt as you seem to think it is.  The forms and reporting required cause more of a loss though decreased productivity than corruption loss.  

    If you are citing a specific incident, you forgot to cite your source.  

  • GhavriggGhavrigg Member RarePosts: 1,308

    To be honest, people who would "prank" others like this are better off dead. They're nothing but a drain on society. And they find it funny.

     

  • i_own_ui_own_u Member UncommonPosts: 314

    One other thing I have noticed is the way the "streamers" are handling getting "Swatted." They are sensationalizing it...making it into a reality drama type thing. 

    They use it to get more viewers...and this last guy got lucky enough to get interviewed on NATIONAL TV! I wouldn't be surprised if they were swatting themselves on purpose to be honest...not saying they all do, but I wouldn't put it past some people.

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