Swatting Case Reported In East Bay

CASTRO VALLEY, CA — Exactly one week after a Kansas man was killed at his home following a Swatting call, the Alameda County Sheriff's Department dealt with a similar hoax in Castro Valley. This time, the outcome was peaceful. In fact, the sheriff's office reports that the exact same address was targeted in a swatting call once before.

Swatting is when a fake call is make to law enforcement about a supposed violent crime in progress in an attempt to get a large response at a location. The FBI first warned of the practice a decade ago. According to ACSO, "The prank has been associated with online gaming as a way to get back at a rival. It’s an illegal and extremely dangerous practice."

The Castro Valley call was made last Thursday, Jan. 4th, at 8:47 p.m. The anonymous 911 caller
told a dispatcher that three hostages were being held by someone with an assault rifle at a home on Grove Way. The caller demanded that Paramedics deliver $15,000 to the address or the hostages would be killed.

However, the sheriff's office knew the history of the location. "Similar demands and threats occurred last year directed at the same address. It was determined that a former resident was targeted after a dispute with others while playing video games," the sheriff's office said in a statement.

The case was investigated and quickly dismissed without any injuries. An investigation is continuing.

In the Kansas case where a man died, a suspect was arrested in Southern California.

The ACSO notes, "This is a good opportunity for parents to have a conversation with children about online gaming safety."

-AP File Photo of 911 Call Center/Matt Sedensky