Extremist Group Claims Responsibility for Wave of Campus Shooting Hoaxes
“Since the swatting spree kicked off on August 21, around a dozen different universities have been targeted with 911 emergency calls”
These hoaxes have been happening all over. These people need to be tracked down and prosecuted.
Wired reports:
This Is the Group That’s Been Swatting US Universities
A self-proclaimed leader of an online group linked to the violent extremist network The Com tells WIRED he is responsible for the flurry of hoax active-shooter alerts at universities across the US in recent days as students return to school.
Known online as Gores, the person says he coleads a group called Purgatory, which is offering its followers a menu of services, including hoax threats against schools—known as swatting—for just $20, while faked threats against hospitals, businesses, and airports can cost up to $50. The group also offered “slashings” and “brickings” for as little as $10, according to a review of the group’s Telegram channel by WIRED, apparently referencing real-world violence.
In recent days, however, as the incidents were reported in the media, the prices have skyrocketed, with a school swatting now costing $95 and brickings costing $35.
The group has been linked to 764, a nihilistic subgroup of The Com that conducts targeted campaigns against children using extortion, doxing, swatting, and harassment. Members of 764 have been accused of everything from robbery to sexual abuse of minors, kidnapping, and murder.
Since the swatting spree kicked off on August 21, around a dozen different universities have been targeted with 911 emergency calls, some having to issue alerts on multiple occasions after receiving multiple hoax calls. Gores tells WIRED that the group had earned around $100,000 since the swatting spree began. WIRED has not independently confirmed that figure.
As well as the confirmation from Gores, two researchers who spoke to WIRED confirmed that they had both listened to the group conducting swatting calls on audio livestreams as they happened in recent days. In at least one case, a researcher was able to intercede and call the targeted institution to inform them that the call was a hoax.
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if true
we thank you for the info!!!
Don’t bother the FBI with stuff like this while there are still people praying in Latin.
I can confirm this is happening. I work for a State University Hospital and one of our campuses was put on lockdown because someone reported and active shooter. This happened earlier this week.
If their prices are that low, it’s impossible that they have earned $100K from their activities in just a week.
You’ve only seen the dining room menu. You haven’t been to the Champagne Room.
That’s probably the price for a single phone call.
The University of Arkansas one reported over 300 phone calls (spoofed, definitely) from landlines on the university, reporting the “active shooter.”
that’s $6,000 if they they did a simple per call pricing.
I’m not sure why the telecoms can’t prevent spoofing. I suspect they make money off it.
If a researcher can listen in to a live audio feed then it can be traced back. Communicating terrorist threats over the phone is a fairly serious action and should result in much, much jail time.
tracers can be sent on a wild goose chase, you know this
Also, that charge would be a stretch considering they aren’t making threats but spoofing reports of a threat on campus. I’m not saying they are innocent…I hope whatever could/can stick be thrown at them but a “terroristic threat” is not being made.
And, this is the sort of thing the CIA should do. Track down one of these guys at a time and they don’t wake up some morning. These folks are nihilist terrorists. Give them a taste of their own “brickings.” Otherwise this will never stop or even reduce.
You must be confused. The CIA is not allowed to perform domestic ops.