Swatting and Hoax Emergency Calls: What High-Profile People Should Know
Short answer: Swatting means making a false emergency report so that police attend someone's address. It usually follows doxxing, when a home address is published online. The best defences are reducing how easily your address can be found, and making sure the local police already know you may be targeted.
Who is targeted
- Online streamers and creators.
- Public figures and campaigners.
- Executives involved in controversial decisions.
- People already being harassed online.
Reducing the risk
- Remove your address from public directories and data brokers where possible.
- Check Companies House records; directors can apply to protect a residential address.
- Avoid filming in ways that reveal the outside of your home or street.
- Keep a record of harassment and report it.
Talking to the police
If you are being targeted, report it and ask whether a note can be placed against your address. Police decide how they respond to emergency calls; nobody should expect them to ignore a report.
If police arrive
Stay calm, follow instructions and keep hands visible. Household staff and any security personnel should be briefed to do the same.
Checking a provider
Check any officer on the SIA public register before appointing them. Ask for a written risk assessment, clear confidentiality terms and the names of the officers who will attend.
Next step
VIP Protection Services provides discreet, SIA-licensed close protection across London, the UK and internationally, with every arrangement subject to risk assessment and officer availability. See our close protection services, residential security or executive protection across the UK. You can call 020 3488 5714, WhatsApp us or send your requirements. Written quotations are usually provided the same working day.
Where anyone is in immediate danger, call 999. Private security never replaces the police or legal advice.
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About the Author
Roy
Director, VIP Protection Services
Roy is a Director of VIP Protection Services, overseeing SIA-licensed close protection, executive protection, corporate security and residential security across the UK. He personally writes and reviews every guide, checking each against current SIA licensing rules and BS 7858:2019 screening standards before publication.
- SIA Close Protection licensed officers
- BS 7858:2019 screened (5-year vetting)
- Documented assignment planning
“Discreet, impeccably presented and completely reliable. They planned the detail properly rather than simply putting people on the ground — which is exactly what we needed.”
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