What to Do If You Are a Victim of Swatting

Swatting—the act of making a hoax emergency call to send armed police to an unsuspecting victim's address—is one of the most dangerous forms of online harassment. It has caused injuries, trauma, and even death. Swatting incidents surged from 19 reported cases in Illinois in 2021 to 221 in 2024, and the trend is accelerating nationwide. Here's what to do if you're targeted, and how to prevent it.

What Is Swatting?

Swatting occurs when someone calls 911 or another emergency number and reports a fake emergency—typically a bomb threat, active shooter, or hostage situation—at a victim's home or workplace. The goal is to trigger an armed police response, often a SWAT team, at the target's location.

Attackers use caller ID spoofing, VoIP services, and sometimes AI-generated voices to mask their identity and make calls appear to come from the victim's location. The result is a heavily armed police response at the door of someone who has no idea what's happening.

Immediate Steps If You Are Swatted

If armed police arrive at your door in response to a false report:

1. Stay calm and comply with all officer instructions. Keep your hands visible at all times. Do not make sudden movements. The officers believe they are responding to a genuine emergency.
2. Clearly and calmly explain that you believe this is a swatting incident—a hoax call designed to send police to your address
3. Do not resist or argue. Even if the situation feels unjust, your immediate safety depends on cooperating fully. You can address the situation after officers stand down.
4. Ask officers to verify the call. Once the situation is de-escalated, ask them to investigate the source of the emergency call
5. Check on family members including children and elderly relatives who may be frightened or confused

After the Incident

Once police have left, take these steps immediately:

• File a police report. Document everything about the incident—the time, what officers said, how many responded, and any damage to your property
• Preserve all evidence. Save any threatening messages, usernames, or online communications that may be connected to the attack. Screenshot everything before it can be deleted.
• Check security cameras. If you have doorbell cameras or home security systems, save the footage
• Report to the FBI. Swatting is a federal crime. Report at tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. You can also file with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov. The FBI maintains a national swatting database launched in 2023 to track incidents.
• Contact your phone and internet providers. Alert them that you've been targeted so they can watch for suspicious activity on your accounts

How to Prevent Swatting

The single most important prevention step is making your home address harder to find online. Swatters typically find victims' addresses through data broker sites, social media, and public records.

Remove Your Address From Data Brokers

Data brokers sell personal information—including your home address—for as little as $0.25 per record. People-search sites like Spokeo, WhitePages, and BeenVerified make your address findable in seconds. Removing yourself from these sites is the most effective way to prevent swatting:

1. Search for your name and address on major people-search sites
2. Submit opt-out requests to every site that lists you
3. Repeat every 3–6 months as brokers re-acquire data
4. Use an automated removal service to maintain ongoing protection

Register With Anti-Swatting Programs

Some cities and police departments maintain anti-swatting registries. Pioneered by the Seattle Police Department, these programs flag registered addresses so that dispatchers verify the emergency before sending a full tactical response. Contact your local police department to ask if they offer an anti-swatting registry or similar program.

Secure Your Digital Presence

• Never share your home address on social media, gaming platforms, or public forums
• Use a VPN to prevent your IP address from being traced to your physical location
• Use a PO Box or mail forwarding service for any public-facing correspondence
• Enable privacy settings on all social media accounts and remove location data from posts
• Audit your digital footprint regularly—Google yourself and see what's publicly visible

Who Is Most at Risk?

While anyone can be swatted, certain groups face higher risk:

• Online streamers and content creators who broadcast from home
• Gamers involved in competitive communities with toxic rivalries
• Public figures, politicians, and judges—a wave of swatting attacks targeted over a dozen politicians in late 2023-2024, including a federal judge
• Journalists covering controversial topics
• Activists engaged in political organizing
• Schools—853 swatting incidents targeted U.S. schools from January 2023 to June 2024

How PrivacyOn Helps Prevent Swatting

The most effective swatting prevention is making your address unfindable online. PrivacyOn removes your personal information—including your home address—from 100+ data broker and people-search sites. We continuously monitor for re-listings and re-submit removal requests when your data reappears.

For high-risk individuals like streamers, public figures, and activists, PrivacyOn's ongoing monitoring is essential. Our dark web scanning also alerts you if your address or other personal data appears in breach databases or underground forums where swatters source their targets.

Plans start at $8.33/month, with family plans covering up to 5 people—because swatting doesn't just affect you, it affects everyone in your household.

Take Action Before You're Targeted

Swatting is preventable. By removing your address from data broker sites, registering with anti-swatting programs, and securing your online presence, you dramatically reduce the risk of becoming a target. Don't wait until armed officers are at your door—protect your address today.