Swatting: the False Alarm That Mobilises the Police (2026)

Swatting consists of provoking an emergency police response through a false alarm directed against a victim. It is a dangerous practice with clear criminal relevance. As criminal lawyers, we explain its treatment.

What Swatting Is

Swatting consists of reporting a serious, non-existent situation to the emergency services — a kidnapping, a shooting, a bomb threat — at another person's address, so the police turn up forcefully against a victim who has done nothing.

How It Is Classified Under Criminal Law

• False crime reporting (Art. 457 of the Criminal Code): simulating being responsible for or the victim of an offence, or reporting a non-existent one, triggering proceedings. This is the core classification of swatting.
• False accusation (Art. 456): where the situation is falsely attributed to a specific person.
• Criminal damage or bodily harm may concur if the provoked police response causes a harmful outcome.

If You Are a Victim of Swatting

The victim of swatting may join the proceedings as a private prosecutor so that the perpetrator is identified — often possible through tracing the communication — and civil liability is claimed for the harm and moral damage suffered.

The Defence of the Accused

The defence of a person under investigation analyses the real authorship of the call or message, possible impersonation of their identity and the applicable classification, which determines the penalty.