WAUPACA, WI (WTAQ) – Waupaca Police are informing the public about the dangers of “swatting” following an incident Sunday afternoon.
Police say a 17-year-old boy was playing an Xbox game online with a stranger in the 700 block of Eighth Street around 4 p.m.
The person told the teen he was going to be “swatting him” – or calling in an emergency that isn’t actually happening.
“The call came in that a woman was shot in the leg and the person was still on the phone and they were upstairs and they indicated that the person was still in the residence and the phone went dead,” Waupaca Police Detective Sgt. Brian Hoelzel told FOX 11.
Hoelzel says a number of city and county officers quickly responded.
“They were able to set up a perimeter and within about five minutes, they were able to determine that that was a hoax call because the people inside the residence were looking out the windows, and they were able to motion to them to come outside.”
Hoelzel says both the teen and his family are cooperating with police. A forensic exam will be done on the gaming system to determine what, if any, information can be retrieved in order to track down the person who made the call. A motive is not being released.
Hoelzel says parents should learn what terms like ‘swatting’ or ‘doxxing’ are. Doxxing (or doxing) is the revealing of personal information like addresses, phone numbers.
Police say if you or your kids are threatened with being ‘swatted’ or ‘doxxed’ – and it happens – to contact local police immediately.
(Additional reporting from FOX 11)
