Swatting
Etymology
Named for police SWAT teams, the term was adopted by U.S. law enforcement around 2008 as the prank spread through gaming and streaming communities. An attacker phones in a fake hostage or bomb threat at the target’s address, sometimes while livestreamers are on camera. Several swatting calls have ended in death, prompting dedicated laws.
noun · /SWOT-ing/
Making a false emergency report to send armed police storming a victim’s home.
What it names
A uniquely dangerous online-to-physical attack: harassment that hijacks real force.
Example
A rival gamer swatted him mid-stream, and viewers watched officers burst through his front door.
Related idea
Swatting escalates doxxing into physical danger: doxxing exposes the address, and swatting turns that address into a target for real-world force.