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NaturalHigh

(12,778 posts)
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 05:28 AM Sep 2014

Gamers use police hoax to lash out at opponents

The calls to 911 raised an instant alarm: One caller said he shot his co-workers at a Colorado video game company and had hostages. Another in Florida said her father was drunk, wielding a machine gun and threatening their family.

A third caller on New York's Long Island claimed to have killed his mother and threatened to shoot first responders.

In each case, SWAT teams dispatched to the scene found no violent criminals or wounded victims — only video game players sitting at their computers, the startled victims of a hoax known as "swatting."

Authorities say the hoax that initially targeted celebrities has now become a way for players of combat-themed video games to retaliate against opponents while thousands of spectators watch. The perpetrators can watch their hijinks unfold minute by minute in a window that shows a live video image of other players.


http://www.denverpost.com/crime/ci_26534918/gamers-use-police-hoax-lash-out-at-opponents

These people are going to get someone killed one of these days.

17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Gamers use police hoax to lash out at opponents (Original Post) NaturalHigh Sep 2014 OP
Is this part of the #gamergate nonsense? (nt) Recursion Sep 2014 #1
I don't know what #gamergate is. NaturalHigh Sep 2014 #2
No. That's a seperate issue. NutmegYankee Sep 2014 #3
TY. Sorry to distract (nt) Recursion Sep 2014 #6
I just googled gamergate... NaturalHigh Sep 2014 #5
It has to do with women programming video games Recursion Sep 2014 #10
Oh, okay. NaturalHigh Sep 2014 #17
Gamers expose cops as being over-stimulated Hari Seldon Sep 2014 #4
How do you expect them to react? Oktober Sep 2014 #9
As pranks go, it's pretty stupid and reckless Bosonic Sep 2014 #7
What.The.Fu*k. Earth_First Sep 2014 #8
The same thing that's been wrong with "these" kids in previous generations... JHB Sep 2014 #12
Except that people didn't get shot and killed when someone cried wolf or pulled the fire alarm. Sheldon Cooper Sep 2014 #14
You think people haven't been killed from idiotic false alarms before? JHB Sep 2014 #15
I'd hardly call this a prank. Skidmore Sep 2014 #11
They need to put serious resources into finding the perps Erich Bloodaxe BSN Sep 2014 #13
These gamers make the whole community suck. NuclearDem Sep 2014 #16

NaturalHigh

(12,778 posts)
5. I just googled gamergate...
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 06:02 AM
Sep 2014

and skimmed a couple of articles. I still don't know what the hell it's about. Something to do with "gaming journalists."

Recursion

(56,582 posts)
10. It has to do with women programming video games
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 07:07 AM
Sep 2014

And the neckbeards who play Call of Duty not liking that...

NaturalHigh

(12,778 posts)
17. Oh, okay.
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 07:19 PM
Sep 2014

The couple of articles I read didn't mention that. I will freely admit that I'm out of touch with the gaming community. I grew up with an Atari. My son plays a lot, though.

JHB

(37,132 posts)
12. The same thing that's been wrong with "these" kids in previous generations...
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 07:37 AM
Sep 2014

...from those who pull fire alarms all the way back to the ones who cried "WOLF!"

They get a kick out doing something that makes other people scramble around and/or wreak havoc... until they can't get away with it.

Sheldon Cooper

(3,724 posts)
14. Except that people didn't get shot and killed when someone cried wolf or pulled the fire alarm.
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 08:28 AM
Sep 2014

Nowadays, infants in their cribs aren't safe from Swat-Team 6, and these idiotic "pranks" are going to get someone killed. Haha guess they'll really get a laugh then, won't they?

JHB

(37,132 posts)
15. You think people haven't been killed from idiotic false alarms before?
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 12:34 PM
Sep 2014

I'm not defending the practice (at all), but Earth_First asked "What is wrong with these kids?"

I just pointed out that this kind of jackassery goes way, way back.

Skidmore

(37,364 posts)
11. I'd hardly call this a prank.
Wed Sep 17, 2014, 07:26 AM
Sep 2014

When this "game" starts targetting people who aren't celebreties, its is likely that a SWAT team could care less about exercising caution before breaking down a door and firing away.

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