Australian teen charged with making hoax mass shooting calls to U.S. institutions

An Australian teenager has been charged over multiple hoax calls he allegedly made falsely claiming that mass shootings were underway at major U.S. educational institutions and retailers.

The suspect, who was scheduled to appear in court in Australia on Tuesday and was identified only as a teen boy, “allegedly caused widespread alarm and turmoil to thousands of people, businesses and services in the United States, resulting in significant financial implications,” Graeme Marshall, acting assistant commissioner of the Australian Federal Police (AFP), said in a joint news release with the FBI.

Known as “swatting,” such calls to emergency services are a form of criminal harassment that is intended to prompt a rapid and large-scale response by police and other forces.

The AFP, which launched a task force in October to investigate anonymous online crime networks, said it had acted on intelligence received from the FBI. A number of electronic devices and a firearm were recovered during a search last month of a home in the state of New South Wales, they said.

Police said the suspect, who cannot be publicly named under Australian law, was being charged with 12 counts of using a telecommunications network with intention to commit a serious offense and one count of unauthorized possession of a prohibited firearm.

The first offense is punishable by up to five years in prison, while the second has a maximum penalty of 14 years.

Marshall said that perpetrators of swatting and other crimes, often boys and men ages 11 to 25, are seeking “to achieve status, notoriety and recognition in their online groups.”

Jason A. Kaplan, assistant director of the FBI’s International Operations Division, said his agency views swatting as a dangerous crime that endangers lives and diverts critical emergency resources.

“This case demonstrates that anonymity online is an illusion, and we are committed to working with the AFP, our international partners, and private sector partners to identify and hold accountable those who exploit technology to cause harm to communities,” he said.

Erika Olson, chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, said the FBI and AFP “have worked side-by-side for decades to keep both our countries safe, and we appreciate our continued cooperation.”