Richmond RCMP is trying to trace the origins of a phone call that led to a dangerous “swatting” incident in the early hours of Sunday.
If police manage to trace the hoax call — which purported that a serious incident had taken place at a home in the Steveston area — criminal charges of wasting police time may follow.
Mounties arrived at the home early Sunday, only to find the family of occupants had been fast asleep.
The fake emergency call is referred to as “swatting,” an act of calling in a critical incident such, as a shooting or bomb threat, causing a large contingent of law enforcement officers to go into an area to investigate, explained Richmond RCMP’s Cpl. Stephanie Ashton.
The incidents, added Ashton, are hoaxes where the suspect spoofs or protects their information when calling police. The victims are often people who engage in online gaming and end up having disputes with others, who call in police as a result.
Swatting is a dangerous practice, say police, that puts public safety at risk.Version:1.0 StartHTML:0000000105 EndHTML:0000003522 StartFragment:0000002311 EndFragment:0000003486
Richmond RCMP is trying to trace the origins of a phone call that led to a dangerous “swatting” incident in the early hours of Sunday.
If police manage to trace the hoax call — which purported that a serious incident had taken place at a home in the Steveston area — criminal charges of wasting police time may follow.
Mounties arrived at the home early Sunday, only to find the family of occupants had been fast asleep.
The fake emergency call is referred to as “swatting,” an act of calling in a critical incident such, as a shooting or bomb threat, causing a large contingent of law enforcement officers to go into an area to investigate, explained Richmond RCMP’s Cpl. Stephanie Ashton.
The incidents, added Ashton, are hoaxes where the suspect spoofs or protects their information when calling police. The victims are often people who engage in online gaming and end up having disputes with others, who call in police as a result.
Swatting is a dangerous practice, say police, that puts public safety at risk.
