Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Eugene

(62,627 posts)
Fri Jun 30, 2023, 04:26 PM Jun 2023

The FBI has formed a national database to track and prevent 'swatting'

Source: CNBC

The FBI has formed a national database to track and prevent 'swatting'

Advances in technology allow callers to mask their voices, phone numbers or IP addresses (also called “spoofing”) or make their false 911 calls sound more credible.

June 29, 2023, 6:40 PM EDT
By Jacob Ward and Lora Kolodny, CNBC

Author Patrick Tomlinson and his wife, business owner Niki Robinson, have been "swatted" at their home in Milwaukee more than 40 times, often resulting in police pointing guns at their heads. Their tormentors have also called in false bomb threats to venues using their names in three states. Yet law enforcement hasn’t been able to stop the calls.

The couple’s terror comes as these incidents appear to be on the rise in the U.S., at least on college campuses. In less than a single week in April, universities including Clemson, Florida, Boston, Harvard, Cornell, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Oklahoma, as well as Middlebury College, were targeted by swatters.

To combat the growing problem, the FBI has begun taking formal measures to get a comprehensive picture of the problem on a national level.

Chief Scott Schubert with the bureau’s Criminal Justice Information Services headquarters in Clarksburg, West Virginia, told NBC News that the agency formed a national online database in May to facilitate information sharing between hundreds of police departments and law enforcement agencies across the country pertaining to swatting incidents.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-formed-national-database-track-prevent-swatting-rcna91722

2 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The FBI has formed a national database to track and prevent 'swatting' (Original Post) Eugene Jun 2023 OP
Flies everywhere are overjoyed. Sneederbunk Jun 2023 #1
LOL ShazzieB Jun 2023 #2
Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»True Crime»The FBI has formed a nati...