Swatting is an illegal practice in which police and law enforcement officials are called to a person’s house by a third-party who claims that there could be hostages, a shooting, and etc. This is usually a fake call meant to harass and scare the victim. While we suppose it could be done by and to anyone, it usually happens in online video games where one player is not satisfied with another player’s attitude.
That being said a report from KOMO News has recently revealed that an unnamed high-up executive in Bungie, the developers of Destiny and Halo, was a victim of swatting. According to Nathan Elledge, the chief of police at the Sammamish Police Department, “The caller said he had an assault rifle and he had placed explosives in the yard and he was holding a family hostage. He wanted $20,000 to release the family.”
The call resulted in police officers and a helicopter descending upon the executive’s house at 4am in the morning, and it was only after 45 minutes that they were able to determine that the call was a fake. An investigation revealed that the call had been made from a computer, not a phone from the home.
Elledge also added, “This is not a game. This is a very serious response that could’ve had serious consequences and we’re just fortunate that didn’t happen this time. It puts officers’ lives at risk when you respond to something this serious. It puts the citizens’ lives at risk.” If caught, the person behind the prank call could face a year in prison and a fine of $5,000.