"Swatting" incidents stoke fear in the DMV
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A rise in swatting incidents against high-profile people in and out of Washington is leading Congress to take action, offering new guidance to members' families and offices on how to address them.
Why it matters: The dangerous hoax calls — targeting judges, lawmakers, and election officials — are among a rising tide of political threats in the U.S., where roughly a quarter of Americans say they are open to resorting to violence to "save our country."
What's happening: The swatting calls have recently targeted households all over the DMV, including downtown and suburban counties. There was even one at the White House last month.
- D.C. firefighters ordered five engines, two trucks, and medics to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Jan. 15 after an emergency call about a fake fire, the Washington Post reported.
What they're saying: In a rare letter addressed to congressional spouses, a copy of which was obtained by Axios, House Sergeant at Arms William McFarland said his office "will be planning a virtual conference to discuss swatting with congressional staff."
- McFarland also noted he would "personally be on hand" at upcoming party retreats to discuss security matters with spouses.
How it works: Swatting involves faking an emergency to elicit the dispatch of armed police officers, or SWAT teams, to a particular address.
- When a swatting call is placed, it indicates that the culprit has a victim's specific physical address, which can be perceived as a threat in itself.
- The tactic evolved from certain gaming circles in the early 2000s but has since become a fairly common form of criminal harassment.
- New techniques like AI-synthesized voices, caller ID spoofing, and IP masking have made swatting calls more efficient and even more of a headache for law enforcement.
By the numbers: Since the FBI created a national tracking database last year, it has logged 550 reported swatting incidents, according to a figure shared with Axios on Wednesday.
- MPD declined to share any data around local swatting calls, telling Axios the agency has only recently begun tracking them.