not really as SWAT respond to immediate threatsAnyone else find it kind of crazy all it takes is a phone call to send a SWAT team to someones house?
not really as SWAT respond to immediate threatsAnyone else find it kind of crazy all it takes is a phone call to send a SWAT team to someones house?
This is really messed up.The federal affidavit, filed Sept. 9 in U.S. District Court in New Haven, Conn., said "the group primarily consists of Microsoft X-Box players or gamers." It described how a victim of doxing may have their personal identity details publicized or have their Twitter account taken over with the hackers "extorting individuals seeking to regain control of their Twitter accounting by requiring the individual to, among other things, send nude photos of themselves or calling the police to report an incident that would require specialized units like SWAT or the bomb squad to respond (swatting,)" the affidavit states.
Anyone else find it kind of crazy all it takes is a phone call to send a SWAT team to someones house?
What can be done if these calls are coming from out of country?
Looked up the case a little bit more, this is golden, Tollis' Dad is a state trooper and his Mom helped bail him out on bond. Tollis is facing 15 years if convicted:
Link: http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/UConn-Bomb-Threat-Suspect-on-House-Arrest-274944661.html
http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/...Suspect-Facing-Federal-Charges-274669651.html
Tollis used the name Hxrbor, according to the document.
The media regularly confuses the terms 'automatic' and 'semi-automatic'.What an asshole. I hope no one here is going to defend him.
I find that incredibly unlikely. They may have had M4s or something similar, but they would have been semiautomatic.
I feel like the more the media talks about swatting the more people will be interested in trying it who have never heard of the term. Just go after people who do it then stfu so nobody gets any ideas or tries to emulate it.
Anyone else find it kind of crazy all it takes is a phone call to send a SWAT team to someones house?
I think my biggest question after reading this is "why did the victim have to pay for the pizzas?" Can't you just turn the delivery guy away if you didn't order them? They can't force you to pay for something you didn't order.
On the contrary, the story of people like this guy should be spread. He was ignorant of what really goes on, and made a stupid mistake by joining an internet tough guy group after being harassed.
I think my biggest question after reading this is "why did the victim have to pay for the pizzas?" Can't you just turn the delivery guy away if you didn't order them? They can't force you to pay for something you didn't order.
So he says in his defense, which is shaky as he admits audibly laughing in one of the swat/prank/threat phone calls. It's pathetic that he's pointing at usernames and saying "They made me do it", the whole thing doesn't add up, and he may even be sending the FBI on a wild goose chase over nothing.
This guy had a lot of time on his hands, which he should've used to go to the authorities to report he was being blackmailed in the first place if that was indeed what was happening. I just find it hard to believe he gets pranked with pizzas being ordered to his house then decides to join in on the chaos rather than get pissed off.
I suddenly feel bad for his parents.
I
Honestly? Because it sounds like bullshit he made to justify the fact he is a dick.
He'll find the love he needs in prison..
“I was scared of being their next target so I did not inform the Authorities of their Actions,” Tollis wrote in the statement, according to the affidavit. “I stood by and watched as resources were wasted for hoax calls. I did so out of fear and regret associating myself with these people."
Someone caption "I've made a huge mistake" on that picture. It's totally his expression.
I was scared of being their next target so I did not inform the Authorities of their Actions, Tollis wrote in the statement, according to the affidavit. I stood by and watched as resources were wasted for hoax calls. I did so out of fear and regret associating myself with these people."...
The group, two of which are believed to live in Scotland, are part of a larger gang calling themselves the ISISGang.
The three British youths, one of whom is understood to be just 16, made a series of calls via Skype threatening schools, universities and conference centres with bombing and shootings, the Sunday Times has reported. The prank calls are said to have cost American authorities £600,000 ($1million).
..........
And in April a call was made to the Boston Convention and Exhibition Centre by a man identifying himself as 'Matt Hag' whilst a gaming conference with 60,000 people in attendance was going on. The The FBI affidavit states: Hag claimed that he was an Iraqi national who migrated to the United States in 2006 and was working for Allah. Hag claimed he was upset that innocent Iraqis were being killed and stated that his children were murdered by marines.
He has revealed that the gang met as Xbox gamers, and originally called themselves TeAM CrucifiX or Die before changing their name in August. They had all been involved in 'Swatting', which involves calling in fake threats in order to get Swat teams to converge on the target.
The three British individuals are known online as 'Verified', 'Jordie', and 'Declaws'. Tollis has given the FBI possible identities for the first two, claiming that 'Verified' lives in Scotland. 'Declaws' may also be Scottish he has Tweeted about visiting McDonalds in Arbroath, a port on the eastern coast of Scotland.
Jordie claims to be an aspiring rapper. Tweeting under the name GDKJordie, he wrote: Ive more or less ruined my life at 16 because i [sic] thought it would be funny to swat a few cocky gamers and terrorise schools. The tweet has since been deleted.
So in addition to Tollis, three British individuals are now being investigated. It's unclear if it was just Tollis or the other three who called in the threat to the BCEC the day before PAX EAST:
Yeah I'd say you're about right Jordie.
Link: http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/09/15/ISISGang-Hackers-Tracked-by-FBI#disqus_thread
Hit them with the bill.
Jesse pikmin
Exactly how I feel. What if someone didn't know they were the police and pulled out a gun for home defense? Someone could literally die from pranks like this.Disgusting and dangerous behavior and I have zero sympathy for this dude and his buddies.
Hope they throw the book at that loser.
More like Matthew TROLLis mirite?
15 years sound like a fair punishment.
Not only was he keeping swat teems busy, possible preventing them from going to actual crime scenes. And not only did that endanger pets and property of those who were swatted. Nah, it even risked the lives of their victims - who's to say people react correctly when a swat team storms their house? A sudden, unintentional move when they storm your flat and you might well be toast.
So bye bye, enjoy prison.