A high-ranking U.S. Secret Service official was targeted by an anonymous swatting call on July 4.
The caller connected with the 911 system in the undisclosed community where the official lives, according to Axios, and claimed someone was running around the official's home with a gun.
The incident was reportedly revealed on Thursday by Michael Centrella, Secret Service field operations assistant director, at a cybersecurity event in San Francisco.
Centrella told the Deepfake Resilience symposium participants that the Secret Service official is known to the local department where he lives. When the swatting caller described the man's daughter as the one running around with a gun, local police knew immediately they had a fake call on their hands. He does not have a daughter.
But the issue remained that the caller knew the official's name and correct home address.
These types of calls are typically intended to create chaos and confusion by prompting a large and well-armed response by police. SWAT (special weapons and tactics) teams are often deployed to respond to calls of someone with a gun, hence the descriptive name, "swatting."
Swatting calls have been increasing, but so has law enforcement's response. FBI Director Kash Patel posted about the increase in cases in March.
"The FBI is aware of this dangerous trend, and my team and I are already taking action to investigate and hold those responsible accountable."
A recent high-profile case involves a Romanian citizen who pleaded guilty in June to engaging in a plot to use swatting calls and bomb threats to intimidate and threaten dozens of people with bogus police emergencies, including a former but unnamed U.S. president and several members of Congress. The defendant is set for sentencing in October.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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