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Wednesday, Jan 14, 2026
Outside the box.
Australian Teen Charged Over ‘Swatting’ Hoax Calls Targeting U.S. Schools and Retailers
Teenager in New South Wales faces multiple charges after allegedly making false mass shooting reports to U.S. emergency services, sparking international law enforcement cooperation
A teenage boy from regional New South Wales has been formally charged by Australian authorities over a series of hoax mass shooting calls made to emergency services in the United States, officials confirmed this week.
The Australian Federal Police said the investigation began after intelligence from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation alerted them to suspicious activity by an Australian-based member of an alleged decentralised online crime network that makes false reports to trigger large emergency responses.
The boy, reportedly aged thirteen, was arrested on December eighteenth last year during a police operation in which officers executed a search warrant at his home, seizing several electronic devices and a prohibited firearm.
He has been charged with twelve counts of using a telecommunications network to convey false information about danger and with one count of unauthorised possession of a prohibited firearm.
Australian police said his actions caused widespread alarm and significant disruption to thousands of people and services in the United States.
Police and federal investigators described the practice, known as “swatting,” as a dangerous and disruptive crime that endangers lives, drains emergency resources and can carry severe legal consequences.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Graeme Marshall of the Australian Federal Police warned that those who believe they can hide behind online anonymity to commit such acts are mistaken, underscoring the coordinated international efforts to hold offenders to account.
FBI International Operations Division Assistant Director Jason Kaplan praised the cooperation between U.S. and Australian authorities, stating that online anonymity is illusory when used to inflict harm.
The teenager is due to appear in a New South Wales children’s court in the coming days.
Authorities said the case is part of a broader initiative, Taskforce Pompilid, established to target and disrupt decentralised online criminal activity.
The AFP emphasised its commitment to preventing further harm and to prosecuting those responsible for exploiting technology to cause fear and unnecessary emergency responses across borders.
The Australian Federal Police said the investigation began after intelligence from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation alerted them to suspicious activity by an Australian-based member of an alleged decentralised online crime network that makes false reports to trigger large emergency responses.
The boy, reportedly aged thirteen, was arrested on December eighteenth last year during a police operation in which officers executed a search warrant at his home, seizing several electronic devices and a prohibited firearm.
He has been charged with twelve counts of using a telecommunications network to convey false information about danger and with one count of unauthorised possession of a prohibited firearm.
Australian police said his actions caused widespread alarm and significant disruption to thousands of people and services in the United States.
Police and federal investigators described the practice, known as “swatting,” as a dangerous and disruptive crime that endangers lives, drains emergency resources and can carry severe legal consequences.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Graeme Marshall of the Australian Federal Police warned that those who believe they can hide behind online anonymity to commit such acts are mistaken, underscoring the coordinated international efforts to hold offenders to account.
FBI International Operations Division Assistant Director Jason Kaplan praised the cooperation between U.S. and Australian authorities, stating that online anonymity is illusory when used to inflict harm.
The teenager is due to appear in a New South Wales children’s court in the coming days.
Authorities said the case is part of a broader initiative, Taskforce Pompilid, established to target and disrupt decentralised online criminal activity.
The AFP emphasised its commitment to preventing further harm and to prosecuting those responsible for exploiting technology to cause fear and unnecessary emergency responses across borders.
