Swatting Tactics Employed in Telephone Extortion Schemes

According to a local media report, a Michigan resident was targeted in a telephone extortion scheme and, when he refused to comply with the scammers’ monetary demands, the perpetrator contacted law enforcement and reported a hostage situation at the victim’s residence resulting in a swatting incident. Swatting is a false report of an ongoing emergency or a threat of violence intended to prompt an immediate tactical law enforcement response. The NJCCIC is not currently aware of any New Jersey-based incidents but we recommend that recipients of extortion calls notify their local police department immediately if they are threatened with arrest or a law enforcement response by the caller.