A Welsh man who used the hidden corners of the internet to encourage others to make malicious hoax 999 calls, triggering armed police responses, has been sentenced to prison. Callum Dare, 26, from Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Taf, received a sentence of two years and three months, marking the first conviction for 'swatting' in Wales.
Dare's activities came to light after the FBI identified him in international online chat rooms. His involvement included encouraging a hoax call to the Los Angeles police, falsely claiming bombs were placed at the University of California, leading to a widespread evacuation. Another incident saw a false report made to a Cardiff journalist, Will Hayward, alleging nail bombs and hostages at the city centre's Sandringham Hotel, which resulted in the area being cordoned off by emergency services.
Upon his arrest in October 2019, police seized Dare's electronic devices, uncovering files related to sophisticated phishing fraud. These tools were designed to collect personal and payment details from users of the dark web – an encrypted part of the internet requiring special software to access – for fraudulent purposes. Dare admitted to being the administrator of a website and participating in online chat groups that encouraged or assisted malicious communications and bomb hoaxes.
Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke, in her sentencing, expressed satisfaction that Dare intended for others to carry out 'swatting' offences, particularly noting the grave danger in countries like the United States where police and the public routinely carry firearms. He also admitted to possessing phishing software intended to obtain login credentials and monitor cryptocurrency in dark website accounts, fully aware of its fraudulent design.
Louisa Robertson of the Crown Prosecution Service emphasised the severe nature of Dare's actions, stating, "Callum Dare put people in danger by encouraging the triggering of armed police responses, for his own thrills." A spokesperson for Tarian, the regional organised crime unit for south Wales, highlighted the extreme seriousness of swatting, noting that "false reports place innocent members of the public at risk, cause significant disruption to communities and divert emergency services away from genuine incidents." The FBI Nashville Field Office reiterated that swatting is "not a victimless prank" but a "reckless and dangerous crime that can have deadly consequences."