Apex Legends player and streamer Phillip “ImperialHal” Dosen told viewers his family home in Florida was swatted yet again, as another streamer found themselves the target of the illegal prank.
While many internet users treat it as a prank, swatting isn’t a joke to law enforcement or its victims.
The illegal practice involves making a fraudulent phone call to emergency service to report a serious crime, with an aim to provoke the sending of a SWAT team to respond to the hoax of an emergency.
Streamers are popular targets for fans of swatting, largely due to their visible online presence and the chance the results of their prank might play out live in front of an audience.
Apex streamer and accomplished pro ImperialHal is no stranger to swatting, he’s been the target of the behavior multiple times in the past.
Today, he told his stream it occurred yet again, with law enforcement visiting his family home in Florida.
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ImperialHal was in Texas at the time the swatting occurred and spoke about having to converse with a police officer via Facetime to verify his whereabouts.
According to some viewers, after the initial swatting of his family home in Florida, ImperialHal was then seemingly targeted at his current residence in Texas as well.
That makes ImperialHal the second streamer to be hit by swat pranksters just in the past 24 hours.
Valorant pro and streamer Sam ‘s0m’ Oh and his family were also the victim of swatting at home while they were asleep.