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Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, said she was "swatted" on Christmas Day. Marjorie Taylor Greene | Instagram
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According to a public alert from the FBI, "The individuals who engage in this activity use technology, such as caller ID spoofing, social engineering, TTY, and prank calls to make it appear that the emergency call is coming from the victim's phone. Traditionally, law enforcement has seen swatters directing their actions toward individuals and residences. Increasingly, the FBI sees swatters targeting public places such as airports, schools, and businesses. Another recent trend is so-called celebrity swatting, where the targeted victims are well-known personalities,” the federal bureau said.
A recent swatting attack involved Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, an outspoken Republican from Georgia who reported she was targeted over the holidays. "I was just swatted. This is like the 8th time, on Christmas with my family here," she posted on her Facebook page. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also had the cops show up at his house, as did Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Upstate New York Congressman Brandon Williams, and Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. "Last night, while at dinner with my wife, cowards swatted my home in Naples,” Scott said. “These criminals wasted the time and resources of our law enforcement in a sick attempt to terrorize my family.” Billionaire George Soros was also the subject of a swatting incident, though he was not home when police responded to his Hamptons estate.
According to the Secure Community Network, a safety and security organization based in Chicago, there were more than 449 swatting incidents and bomb threats against the Jewish community in 2023, up 541% from 2022, as compared to a total of 23 between 2019-2021. In a 24-hour period in mid-December, the network reported 199 swats and false bomb threats across the country targeting Jewish facilities, including 93 in California, 62 in Arizona, 15 in Connecticut, five in Colorado, and four in Washington state, among others. The group said an uptick in incidents came in the wake of the October Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel and the rise of antisemitic activity across North America.
“The alarming volume of swatting incidents and false bomb threats being carried out across the country is a major concern for the safety and security of the Jewish community, as well as law enforcement,” said SCN National Director Michael Masters. “It’s critical to recognize that these are not victimless crimes or innocent pranks: they can have real–and even deadly–consequences."
Law enforcement has made arrests in some of the cases, including a teen in California and a 47-year-old Ohio man, both considered lone wolf actors not part of an organized effort to target religious groups. "The FBI takes all threats very seriously and will continue to work with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to gather, share, and act upon threat information as it comes to our attention,” an FBI spokesperson said. “We urge the public to remain vigilant, and report any and all suspicious activity and/or individuals to law enforcement immediately."
"There are so many things going on in our society that are disrupting our systems," Congressman Williams said. "Swatters are disrupting police, getting them out on these fake calls. This could be targeted at judges, state officials, and law enforcement too." Williams noted that when police began to arrive at his home, he briefed his relatives on how to conduct themselves. "I organized my family in the kitchen and told them to hang out and keep their hands visible,” he said.
Just before New Year’s Eve, Southampton Town police turned out at the Soros mansion on reports that he shot his wife and was threatening himself, only to find that nothing was going on. The day before, prominent George Washington University legal scholar Jonathan Turley had police show up at his door after a bogus 911 call was made to Fairfax County police.