If officers arrive after what you believe is a false emergency report, stay calm, keep your hands visible, and follow their directions. Do not make sudden movements or approach them to explain. Call 911 if there is an immediate threat to life; when it is safe to communicate, state what you know without guessing.
What do I do if police show up because of a fake 911 call?
Swatting is a malicious false report intended to trigger a large emergency response. It can put the person targeted, responders, and others at risk. The FBI defines it as “the malicious tactic of making hoax calls or reports to emergency services, typically feigning an immediate threat to life” in its April 29, 2025 public service announcement.
Responding officers may not know the report is false. Treat the encounter as serious and prioritize their instructions over trying to prove the caller wrong.
- Stay calm, listen, and cooperate with officers.
- Drop anything you are holding. Raise your hands with fingers spread and keep them visible.
- Avoid sudden movements, especially movements toward officers. Do not point, scream, or yell.
- Do not approach officers while they are moving. Wait for a safe, direct opportunity to speak and follow the directions they give.
These precautions reflect the FBI’s general guidance for encountering law enforcement. That guide is for active-shooter events; its broader “run, hide, fight” framework is not a swatting response plan.
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What should I tell 911 if someone threatened to swat me?
Call 911 for an emergency or immediate threat to life. If you have received a swatting threat and there is no immediate danger, report it to local law enforcement. If you call 911 while a response is underway and can safely speak, give the operator your location and concise facts you know. For example: “I believe this may be a swatting call. I am at [location]. Here is what is happening now: [brief facts].” This is suggested wording for clarity, not an FBI script. Answer the operator’s questions and follow their directions.
Do not speculate about who is responsible or describe uncertain details as facts. The FBI’s specific checklist for callers—location, number and physical description of shooters, weapons, and potential victims—applies to active-shooter situations, not to every swatting incident.
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If officers are already at your door, do not delay following their instructions to make a call or give a lengthy explanation. Keep your hands visible and communicate that you believe the report is false when officers give you a safe opportunity.
What should I do after the immediate danger?
Report to local law enforcement
Report the incident to your local police department. The FBI also accepts leads, threats, or reports of criminal activity at tips.fbi.gov, by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), or through a local FBI field office. Use 911 for an emergency or immediate threat to life. An FBI report does not replace notifying local police; the FBI’s 2025 PSA notes that not every report meets its investigative threshold.
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Preserve evidence
Keep information that may relate to the incident, including usernames, email addresses, websites, platform names, photos, and videos. For electronic threats, the FBI’s Threat Intimidation Guide advises not deleting messages and preserving electronic evidence. Copy or photograph message details such as the subject line, date, time, sender, and other identifying information.
Keep original messages and files where possible, and make copies for reporting. Write down a timeline of what happened while details are fresh; this is a practical way to organize your account, not a specific FBI requirement.
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How can I reduce the risk of swatting?
The FBI recommends reviewing your online presence for sensitive personal information, using care when sharing photos and videos, and considering resources or services that may help remove sensitive information available publicly. It also recommends strong, unique passwords and multifactor authentication for accounts and smart-home devices, plus discussing a plan with family members or colleagues.
These steps can reduce exposure and strengthen account security, but they cannot guarantee that someone will not make a false emergency report. A household or workplace plan can help everyone know who will communicate, what information to share, and how to follow responders’ directions if police arrive.
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This guidance is based on U.S. FBI resources. Emergency numbers and police procedures vary outside the United States, and local response practices differ. No phrase, gesture, or security measure guarantees a safe outcome.
