Swatting Prevention: How to Protect Yourself from This Deadly Threat

Swatting is the most dangerous form of doxxing. It involves someone calling in a false emergency report—usually claiming an active shooter or hostage situation—to send armed police to your address. People have died because of swatting. ## Why Swatting is So Dangerous When police respond to reports of active violence, they arrive expecting the worst. They're armed, on edge, and prepared for a life-threatening situation. When you open your door confused about why SWAT is outside, the potential for tragedy is enormous. **Notable swatting deaths:** - Andrew Finch (2017) - Killed by police responding to a fake hostage call - Multiple streamers have been swatted live on camera - Elderly individuals have had heart attacks during swatting incidents ## Who Gets Swatted? **Streamers:** Live streaming your face and reactions is exactly what swatters want. They watch you get swatted in real-time for "entertainment." **Competitive Players:** Swatting has been used to disrupt esports matches and give opponents an advantage. **Random Gamers:** Sometimes people get swatted just because someone is angry they lost a match. **Public Figures:** Anyone with a public presence in gaming communities is at higher risk. ## How to Protect Yourself ### 1. Prevent Your Address from Being Found **GalaxyWarden's Role:** - DoxxScan checks if your address appears in breach databases linked to your gaming identity - Privacy Hardening missions help you remove address information from gaming profiles - Leak monitoring alerts you if your address appears in doxx bins **Data Removal:** Use services like DeleteMe to remove your address from people-search websites. **P.O. Box:** If you order gaming merchandise, use a P.O. Box, not your home address. ### 2. Register with Local Police Many police departments now have "swatting registries" or similar programs. **What to do:** - Call your local police non-emergency line - Explain that you're a gamer/streamer and at risk of swatting - Ask if they have a registry or flag system - Provide your address and phone number for verification **What this does:** If a call comes in about your address, dispatchers can see the flag and potentially verify with you before sending armed units. ### 3. Streaming Safety **Don't Show:** - Your face/room until you trust your audience - Mail, packages, or documents - Windows that show your neighborhood - Personal items with address labels **Do Use:** - Stream delay (even 30 seconds helps) - VPN to hide your IP - P.O. Box for fan mail - Username that doesn't link to your real identity ### 4. VPN While Gaming Your IP address can sometimes reveal your general location or even your ISP account holder's name. Always use a VPN, especially in competitive games where opponents can see your IP. ## What to Do If You're Swatted **If police arrive:** 1. **Stay calm** - Do not make sudden movements 2. **Keep hands visible** - Raise them slowly 3. **Follow all commands** - Even if they seem unreasonable 4. **Identify yourself calmly** - "I'm [name], I live here, I believe I've been swatted" 5. **Don't resist** - Even if you're innocent, this is not the time to argue **After the incident:** 1. **File a police report** - Swatting is illegal 2. **Document everything** - Times, officers' names, badge numbers 3. **Contact an attorney** - Especially if there was property damage or injury 4. **Report to gaming platforms** - If you know who did it 5. **Consider going offline** - Until the situation is resolved ## Legal Consequences for Swatters Swatting is a serious crime in most jurisdictions: - **Making false reports** - Felony in most states - **If someone is hurt/killed** - Manslaughter or murder charges - **Interstate swatting** - Federal charges - **Terrorism charges** - Some jurisdictions treat swatting as terrorism Swatters have received sentences of 5-20+ years in prison. ## GalaxyWarden's Role in Prevention We can't stop a swatter from making a phone call, but we can help prevent them from finding your address in the first place: - **DoxxScan** finds if your address is already exposed - **Leak Monitoring** alerts you to new exposures - **Privacy Hardening** helps you remove address information - **Risk Assessment** tells you how vulnerable you are The best defense against swatting is making sure attackers can't find your address. That's what we focus on. Stay safe. This is a real threat, but it's preventable with the right precautions.

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