{"id":42269,"date":"2026-09-23T02:21:45","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T09:21:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/?p=42269"},"modified":"2026-09-23T02:25:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T09:25:16","slug":"what-is-swatting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.privateinternetaccess.com\/blog\/what-is-swatting\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Swatting? Definition, Dangers, and How to Protect Yourself"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It might sound like something you\u2019d do to a fly that\u2019s buzzing around your kitchen while you\u2019re cooking dinner, but swatting is actually a serious cybercrime.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what is swatting, exactly? It\u2019s the process of tricking emergency responders into believing a serious crime is unfolding at someone else\u2019s address, usually to harass or intimidate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide will help you to understand exactly how these attacks come together, why certain people end up in the crosshairs, and what to do if you ever find yourself on the receiving end of a swatting attack.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/line><\/line><\/line><\/line><\/line><\/line><\/svg>Table of Contents<\/div>9 sections<\/span><\/div>
<\/div>
  1. What Is a Swatting Cyber Attack?<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li>
  2. How Does a Swatting Attack Work?<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li>
  3. Who Gets Targeted by Cyber Swatting?<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li>
  4. How Do Swatters Find Their Victims?<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li>
  5. The Effects of Swatting<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li>
  6. Examples of Cyber Swatting Attacks<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li>
  7. How to Reduce Cyber Swatting Risk<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li>
  8. What to Do If You\u2019ve Been Swatted<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li>
  9. FAQ<\/polyline><\/svg><\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div><\/div>\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n

    What Is a Swatting Cyber Attack?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Swatting is a harassment technique that uses emergency services as a weapon.<\/strong> The person carrying it out deceptively reports that the victim is committing a serious crime, often something like a mass shooting, a hostage situation, or a bomb threat, usually by calling 911 or another emergency line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Dispatchers have no way of knowing the call is fake, so they respond accordingly. This can result in a large number of responding officers \u2013 sometimes including Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams \u2013 descending upon the victim\u2019s home<\/strong>. This is exactly where the attack gets its name from.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    How Does a Swatting Attack Work?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Swatting isn\u2019t a new phenomenon. The FBI has been aware of the practice since 2008 and the anatomy of a typical attack hasn\u2019t changed much in the interim.1<\/sup> Most incidents move through the same five stages, regardless of who\u2019s behind them or their targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Identifying the Target<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The victim might be a streamer with a rival, a public figure with outspoken critics, or someone who lost an argument online. It could even be someone caught in the crossfire of a dispute they aren\u2019t involved in.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The attacker doesn\u2019t need to have a personal vendetta against the victim, but they do want to cause chaos for whoever happens to be in their sights.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Gathering Information<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Once the attacker chooses a target, they need one crucial piece of information to make the report believable: an address.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Unfortunately, whether they\u2019re swatting, stealing an identity<\/a>, or committing other online crimes, attackers have no shortage of ways to figure out a victim\u2019s address. They can use a variety of tactics like combing through old social media posts, accessing databases on dark web marketplaces, or by asking around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Identity Masking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Before making the call, the attacker needs to ensure that they won\u2019t be identified by the authorities<\/strong>\u00a0or they\u2019ll risk potentially harsh consequences. They can use a variety of tactics to do this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n