These forums name thousands of people, from high-ranking executives to their extended families, who could be targets, providing cellphone numbers, home addresses and other information. In the eight months since one online forum was started, nearly 3,000 people have joined. The responses included gun emojis — the symbol, in swatting forums, for an attack in which the police were successfully called to the target’s home. One forum names at least two dozen Facebook employees as potential targets. Swatting started in the combative world of online gaming.

Source: New York Times January 23, 2020 07:52 UTC