Teen Swatter Faces Hard Time: When Prank Calls Go Criminal
A teenager has pleaded guilty to 375 fake threats, or “swatting” incidents, potentially spending years behind bars. Each count could lead to five years in prison. Meanwhile, Metabase vulnerabilities resurface, the UN cybercrime treaty needs tweaks, Halliburton’s cyberattack costs $35 million, D-Link NAS devices remain unpatched, and Google lists top online scams.
Hot Take:
Teenage mischief takes on a whole new meaning when your idea of fun is dialing up chaos with a side of SWAT. Alan Filion might have been trying to pull off the ultimate prank, but now he’s facing the ultimate buzzkill: prison time. Meanwhile, swatting as a “service” is a new low for customer service. Looks like this kid mixed up his career path—he should’ve stuck to selling lemonade instead of fear.
Key Points:
- 18-year-old Alan Filion pleaded guilty to making over 375 fake threats.
- Filion’s actions, known as “swatting,” targeted various institutions and individuals.
- He is facing up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing set for February.
- Swatting has been used by cybercriminals to extort additional ransoms.
- Filion advertised his swatting “services” on social media.