- November 7, 2024
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The first time internet "pranksters" got to him, the 20-year-old Palm Coast man was surprised by a pizza delivery man knocking at his door with $50 worth of pizza he hadn't ordered.
The next day, the knock on the door was more serious: Two Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputies were investigating a disturbance someone had reported anonymously, and, apparently, falsely — a practice called "swatting," in which criminals try to send a swat team to the target's home.
The two deputies showed up at the 20-year-old's Francis Lane home at 10:30 p.m. Jan. 12. The anonymous complainant had said he or she had overheard a disturbance at the house over an Internet live stream.
Deputies spoke to everyone in the home and found "no signs of a disturbance," according to a deputy's report.
The 20-year-old victim said he did live internet streaming and believed a fellow Internet live streamer had swatted him. He told the deputies about the mystery pizza delivery from the previous day.
"This appears to be a trend with persons who are heavily involved in LIVE STREAMING online," the deputy wrote in the report.
Another swatting incident led deputies to break down a man's door in Palm Coast's Z-Section in March.
