White House Targeted By Prank Caller Claiming Residence Is On Fire

(ConservativeSense.com) – The White House was the subject of so-called “swatting” when an anonymous caller reported a fire and said people were trapped inside. Fire trucks and ambulances rushed to the scene at around 7 am on the morning of January 15. A Washington DC dispatcher sent the emergency services to the President’s residence with the message, “Fire in the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.” By 7.15, the “all clear” was given. Authorities traced the prank call to a “spoofed” phone number.

The incident is the latest in a series of high-profile swatting incidents involving political leaders, including Republicans Marjorie Taylor Greene and Rick Scott. Swatting refers to fake reports to police or fire departments that direct them to an address under false pretenses.

Rep. Taylor Greene of Georgia fell victim to the scam on December 26 when the fire department in Rome, Georgia, received a call from a man claiming to have shot his girlfriend – he provided Ms. Taylor Greene’s address. Police contacted the Congresswoman, who confirmed there was no cause for concern at her home. She later took to Twitter and said, “I was just swatted. This is like the 8th time. On Christmas with my family here.”

In Florida, swatters targeted Republican Senator Rick Scott. On this occasion, authorities also received a call about an apparent shooting at the Senator’s address. Naples police quickly figured out that the call was a hoax, and the Senator said “criminals” had wasted emergency response resources “in a sick attempt to terrorize my family.”

New York Congressman Brandon Williams was targeted on Christmas Day. The Republican thanked the police for contacting him before arriving at his door. He tweeted that the officers “left with homemade cookies and spiced nuts! Merry Christmas, everyone!” In this instance, the caller also alerted police to a “shooting.”

The FBI has reported that swatting incidents have rapidly increased and warned that the practice is placing people in danger by rerouting essential resources.

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