Man Hacks 911 System, Sends SWAT on Bogus Raid

[roo_ster]

"The Orange County Register reports that a 19 year old from Washington state broke into the Orange County California 911 emergency system. He randomly selected the name and address of a Lake Forest, California couple and electronically transferred false information into the 911 system. The Orange County California Sheriff's Department's Special Weapons and Tactics Team was immediately sent to the home of a couple with two sleeping toddlers. The SWAT team handcuffed the husband and wife before deciding it was a prank. Says the article, 'Other law enforcement agencies have seen similar breaches into their 911 systems as part of a trend picked up by computer hackers in the nation called "SWATting"'"

Nineteen year old hackers hacking 911 and sending SAWTties to random addresses.

I wonder if SWAT knocked or just busted the door down?

[Manedwolf]

Hopefully, a massive lawsuit from the arrested family will make them figure out what "network security" means.

[The Viking]

And chopping off hands and then head of the hacker would send a message to other pranksters out there.

[mtnbkr]

And chopping off hands and then head of the hacker would send a message to other pranksters out there.

NO NO!  Hacking is not a crime! [/slashdotter]

Chris

[MillCreek]

This was extensively covered in our local media, since the accused perpetrator lives about 10 miles from me.  The homeowner in California apparently came within a whisper of being shot by SWAT, since he heard the rustling in the bushes as the team deployed, and rushed down to the kitchen and grabbed a chefs knife to defend his family.  After the SWAT team lit him up with their weapons lights and shouted at him to drop the knife, he complied and the team entered and arrested everyone at gunpoint.  I can only imagine the tragedy for all involved if he had been accidentally shot and killed.

The accused has done this before in other areas of the country, all from the comfort of his home.  Ideally, he will not have Internet access in the joint.

PS: Edited to add the reason why SWAT deployed:  The hacker implanted a false message in the dispatch system that "Someone reportedly had overdosed on cocaine at a Southern California home. Inside, the caller said, a man was dead and a woman had been shot in the face. The caller told the dispatcher he had a handgun -- and was ready to kill."  So I can see why the local LEOs were pretty dynamic in their response.

Here is a link to the story in the PI: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/335916_911hack18.html

PPS: I see also that Manedwolf posted as I was posting this message explaining the situation.

[Manedwolf]

And what allows them to be sent without a warrant for someone's arrest?

[Marnoot]

And what allows them to be sent without a warrant for someone's arrest?

I'm not sure what you mean. If you or your family were being attacked, would you want the police to wait for a warrant to be issued before they came to your aid?

[jeepmor]

This kid should face some stiff consequences for such actions.  If it were my kid and he was living at home, he no longer would be residing under my roof, period.

[cordex]

First off, that was dumb and wrong.  It is extremely fortunate that no one was killed in this case.

Still, I couldn't help but think: "What a waste!"  If you had the ability to send SWAT on a wild-goose chase, would you just pick a random home?  Why not pick the most statist politician or lobbyist you could find in the area?  What about sending SWAT to the home of the Chief of Police or to another police department?  Why not send them to Wal-Mart or one of the local TV stations?

Better yet, why not just save it for a rainy day?  Seems that there could be a time when having the power to deploy a SWAT team might come in handy.

[charby]

Holy Cow... What a complete (no word could describe that hydrocarbon based lifeform)

If they were called to my house and kicked my door in...... Well we know how that would have resolved.

-C

[Racehorse]

And what allows them to be sent without a warrant for someone's arrest?

I believe it's called probable cause.

[Firethorn]

NO NO!  Hacking is not a crime! [/slashdotter]

Chris

Cracking is though...  [/slashdotter]

Had a bit of a conversation over on /.  about this.

BTW:  He didn't implant the message, he actually called that in.  What he did was fake the number he was calling from as the family's, to increase realism.  IE the 911 operator saw that the number matched the address he gave.

I think the tty part is a bit of confusion about an earlier fake crime he did, which was somewhat more primitive.  After all, they analyzed audio tapes for clues.  If it was a pure message hack, those would have been more or less useless.

And yes - the police are allowed to respond to a reported violent crime without a warrant - it's an emergency response.

[Brad Johnson]

People like this are the reason we need to bring back public flogging.  You do something this stupid, something where there's at least a 50/50 chance someone is going to die, and you need your nuts kicked, hard, every hour of every day for at least a couple weeks.

Brad

[Paddy]

Because it's the first offense, and because no one was injured or killed, I'd only break all the hacker's fingers.  If it happens again, I'd amputate all his fingers.

[Firethorn]

Because it's the first offense, and because no one was injured or killed, I'd only break all the hacker's fingers.  If it happens again, I'd amputate all his fingers.

It's not his first offense though -

From 2005 until this year, Southern California investigators believe he made at least 194 false 911 calls to emergency officials in various locations, including in Washington state, Pennsylvania and Arizona, said Jim Amormino, an Orange County sheriff's spokesman.

He's a serial offender.  I say throw the book at him, no phone calls allowed while he's in prison.

[Paddy]

It's not an offense until there's been a conviction.

[Mabs2]

I propose attempted murder.
SWAT team could have easily shot someone in the house in self defense.
No way he didn't know that could happen.

[HankB]

I propose attempted murder.
SWAT team could have easily shot someone in the house in self defense.
No way he didn't know that could happen.

Or a SWAT team member could have been killed.

There was an EXCELLENT chance that someone's life would have ended.

The perp ought to spend a good long stretch in the Graybar Motel.

(Even so, I must be a bad person . . . cordex's thoughts about "What a waste!" a couple of posts up echoed my own . . . )

[Werewolf]

The caller told the dispatcher he had a handgun -- and was ready to kill."  So I can see why the local LEOs were pretty dynamic in their response.

How many of us here in the same situation would have been armed with a handgun or shotgun instead of the knife the homeowner had when the SWAT team broke down the door? What are the odds that we would have been killed?

That kid should go to prison for many, many years. What he did was not a prank. He crossed the line and was just darn lucky no one was seriously injured or killed.

On the other hand I have to ask why the police's 1st response was to break down the door and enter the home instead of having a hostage negotiator call and talk to the supposed crazed individual with a gun? Is that not done anymore? Is the 1st option now to go in with guns blazing instead of talking first?

I can imagine situations where the best option is to go in, guns blazing but this one as described in the OP and follow on posts isn't one of them.

[charby]

The caller told the dispatcher he had a handgun -- and was ready to kill."  So I can see why the local LEOs were pretty dynamic in their response.

How many of us here in the same situation would have been armed with a handgun or shotgun instead of the knife the homeowner had when the SWAT team broke down the door? What are the odds that we would have been killed?

I'd probably be shot dead and probably a couple of the police officers either wounded or dead. I lead my life so that there no reason to have a no knock warrant served on me. If a SWAT team was to come to my house it would because some was already trying to get me or has held me hostage, odds of that happening is nil because I really don't have anything other than my firearm collection that anyone would want to take by force.

[CAnnoneer]

SWAT can come to me on a bogus raid any time they want. After the settlement, I'd be laughing all the way to the bank...

[Brad Johnson]

In this case you wouldn't be able to press charges.  They had an apparently legitimate call and responded in the manner prescribed.  By all accounts they handled themselves in a professional manner.  There is no liability on their part, as they were not duplicitous in the charade.  They were unwitting participant, just like you.

You might be able to recover something in a civil suit againts the clown who precipitated the event, but don't count on it.  Chances are his computer is all he owns, unless you count his hacked iPhone, a helf-eaten bag of Cheetos, a dumpster microwave, and what's left of a case of Jolt cola.

Your best bet would be help nail this clown to the wall.  Satisfaction is about all you're going to get out of it.  It was an interstate issue so the fed will be involved.  Get a good attorney and you might be able to get him for attempted murder, though that would be quite a stretch.

Brad

[Perd Hapley]

a dumpster microwave

You mean the kind that's upholstered inside, from constant use and no cleaning?  Eww. 

[CAnnoneer]

In this case you wouldn't be able to press charges. 

No, not against the SWAT, but against the department. Especially if I get them to beat me up and mace me in the face. 

[Phyphor]

And chopping off hands and then head of the hacker would send a message to other pranksters out there.

NO NO!  Hacking is not a crime! [/slashdotter]

Chris

I personally don't have too much of a problem hacking for informational purposes, IE how stuff works.  I DO have a problem with using that knowledge to screw other people over.

I say someone should beat the hackers balls with a big brass hammer.