FBI logo on a plat at Federal Bureau of Investigation Field Office building in Washington D.C., United States of America on July 12th, 2024. (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Swatting is back in the news Wednesday as multiple members after multiple members of the Trump transition and cabinet picks by the president-elect faced bomb threats and swatting incidents, three senior law enforcement officials tell NBC News.
“The FBI is aware of numerous bomb threats and swatting incidents targeting incoming administration nominees and appointees, and we are working with our law enforcement partners," the FBI said in a statement. "We take all potential threats seriously, and as always, encourage members of the public to immediately report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”
The U.S. Capitol Police is also investigating after at least one member of Congress, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said she was a victim of the recent incidents.
“Anytime a Member of Congress is the victim of a “swatting” incident, we work closely with our local and federal law enforcement partners. To protect ongoing investigations and to minimize the risk of copy-cats, we cannot provide more details at this time," the USCP said.
So what is swatting?
What is swatting?
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"Swatting is a form of harassment to deceive an emergency service provider into sending a police and emergency service response team to another person’s address due to the false reporting of a serious law enforcement emergency," according to the FBI.
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Swatters will often use technology including caller ID spoofing and TTY technology to make it appear that the emergency call is coming from a victim's phone line, according to the FBI.
The New York State Police and State Education Department said swatting refers to "the false reporting of a serious law enforcement emergency, such as a bomb threat, hostage situation, or homicide."
How do I protect myself from swatting?
The FBI says people can take steps to protect themselves from being victims of swatting, including using complex passwords for online accounts, avoiding using duplicate passwords across different accounts, update passwords regularly and using multi-factor or two-factor authentication for your online accounts.
In addition to reporting swatting or cybersecurity incidents to local law enforcement, concerned people can also report them to the FBI's Internet Crime Center or your local FBI office.
