Swatting

Swatting is a life-threatening form of harassment that sends armed police to victims' homes via false emergency reports, causing injuries and at least one death. Andrew Finch was killed by police in 2017 over a $1.50 Call of Duty wager, with the perpetrator receiving a 20-year prison sentence. Each swatting call costs taxpayers an average of $10,000 in emergency response resources. This behavior is more immediately dangerous than death threats to developers (#1) because it weaponizes law enforcement in real time, without warning. The FBI reports over 500 swatting incidents annually, yet 40% of perpetrators face no charges due to jurisdictional challenges.