SWATTERS: Scum of the earth!

SWAT teams deployed in 911 fraud

Doug Bates and his wife, Stacey, were in bed around 10 p.m., their 2-year-old daughters asleep in a nearby room. Suddenly they were shaken awake by the wail of police sirens and the rumble of a helicopter above their suburban Southern California home. A criminal must be on the loose, they thought.

Doug Bates got up to lock the doors and grabbed a knife. A beam from a flashlight hit him. He peeked into the backyard. A swarm of police, assault rifles drawn, ordered him out of the house. Bates emerged, frightened and with the knife in his hand, as his wife frantically dialed 911. They were handcuffed and ordered to the ground while officers stormed the house.

...

They were victims of a new kind of telephone fraud that exploits a weakness in the way the 911 system handles calls from Internet-based phone services. The attacks — called "swatting" because armed police SWAT teams usually respond — are virtually unstoppable, and an Associated Press investigation found that budget-strapped 911 centers are essentially defenseless without an overhaul of their computer systems.

The article continues:

The AP examined hundreds of pages of court documents and law-enforcement transcripts, listened to audio of "swatting" calls, and interviewed two dozen security experts, investigators, defense lawyers, victims and perpetrators.

...

"We're not able to cope with this very well," said Roger Hixson, technical issues director for the National Emergency Number Association, the 911 system's industry group. "We're just hoping this doesn't become a widespread hobby."

Continue reading the article until you find this little gem:

"Nobody ever thought anyone would get hurt or die from a SWAT call," he said.

:shk:



[edit on 5-2-2009 by loam]

Good Lord! Some people have too much time and not enough brains! I've never heard of this before now.

Obviously the people who do this are idiots but I also think that law enforcement needs to exercise common sense. If 911 is dialed by accident, often the operator will call back and ask probing questions to assess the situation then, if doubtful, will send a police unit to the house to knock on the door. Even in this situation, I don't see why there is a need to jump ugly and send the SWAT team. Let an officer in the area scout it out first.

[edit on 5/2/2009 by kosmicjack]

These people are sick, deranged sociopaths who don't have the guts to commit a good old fashioned bank robbery. It should be fun to see what happens to these idiots when they get caught with their pants down.

Once they locate the person responible for making the swatting calls, they should be made to pay back all the money it cost to send the swat team out and to pay the compensation to the families involved .

That way after they have to pay they wont do it again, failing that seize their computers every time they do it, it'll soon add up.

Besides these people are scum that need to be locked up for a long time.
Any prank call can cost a life, maybe not the the person being invaded by the police but by someone being mugged or assaulted when the police could've prevented it by being nearby on patrol.

I saw the title of this thread and thought: "Good God, somebody is getting that upset about swatting bugs!"

And them too, I tried 3 times to grab a fly this morning, only a teeny little one, I grabbed it 3 times , and I crushed my hand to squash it and it STILL got away..... GRRRRRR

[edit on 5/2/09 by DataWraith]

From the source:

"The attacks — called "swatting" because armed police SWAT teams usually respond — are virtually unstoppable, and an Associated Press investigation found that budget-strapped 911 centers are essentially defenseless without an overhaul of their computer systems."

The perps that have been, and will be, caught should be made to pay for upgrading the systems.

The time of incarceration given to these fools is laughable. Mr. Ellis, 185 calls, serving 3 years!?! and not per call!?! WTF?

Kinda makes me want to do some bodily harm to certain individuals...

This shows how culturally we are completely unprepared for the technology we have at our disposal.

Good grief. :shk:

I'd never even heard of this 'til now. Thanks, loam.

Are the 911 centers that behind the times? Or just that over loaded? Either way doesn't sound at all promising for the future...

Originally posted by jibeho
It should be fun to see what happens to these idiots when they get caught with their pants down.

Quote from the article:

In a separate, multistate case prosecuted by federal authorities in Dallas, eight people were charged with orchestrating up to 300 "swatting" calls to victims they met on telephone party chat lines. The three ringleaders were each sentenced to five years in prison. Two others were sentenced to 2 1/2 years. One defendant pleaded guilty last week and could get a 13-year sentence. The remaining two are set to go on trial in February.

Not that there are any "nutters" reading posts on this site...
but post like this only put dumb ideas into even dumber minds.

Just my opinion of course, but it amazes me how many idiotic things are reported in the MSN, and ya just KNOW someones gonna rush out and " give it a burl"

Cheers

Mungo

Originally posted by mungodave
Not that there are any "nutters" reading posts on this site...
but post like this only put dumb ideas into even dumber minds.

Keeping the human race from doing stupid things is simply unevitable, so there's not really much of a issue

What a sickening and dangerous game someone is playing.
Surely they must be aware of the government's ability to track phone users?
Very, very suspicious.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


Thanks for bumping!

I lined to it, but I forgot to bump it and post. I wish I had seen this thread sooner, this is a scary, scary prank if you can even call it a prank.

I think regardless of the circumstances that led to this, these people should be able to sue the law enforcement agencies.

I do not care what kind of call they get, there should be no reason for the SWAT team to come busting in your door and damaging your property without them folloewing up on the report.

This is a serious agency fail and it looks like they are quick to point the blame away from the law enforcement agencies.

It would seem that they would need more verification before they come and nearly shoot you in the middle of the night.

They/you say prankers fault, I say it is the law enforcements fault.