16-Year-Old Arrested For Numerous Swatting Attacks and Bomb Threats

A 16-year-old male from Ottawa Canada has been arrested for allegedly making more than 30 fraudulent calls to law enforcement agencies in the US, swatting multiple victims. Swatting is a form of fraudulent calls made to law enforcement with a phony threat, such as a bomb threat or hostage situation, asking for law enforcement to come ready and armed to the teeth to the victims door. Once law enforcement and swat teams arrive busting down the victims door, both parties soon learn the call was a hoax, effectively swatting the victim.

Ottawa police released a statement noting the teens arrest. The boys name is begin withheld but the arrested teen is believed to a hacker known as @ProbablyOnion2 (possibly NSFW) on Twitter. According to the report, the teen was arrested Thursday and allegedly made swatting calls to cities in California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland and New York. Multiple calls sent swat teams and locked down Montgomery County schools.

The teen is facing 60 criminal charges that include: Public Mischief, Mischief to Property, Utter Death Threats, Convey False info with intent to alarm, Ottawa police report stated.

Investigative journalist, Brian Krebs, has been the target to ProbablyOnion’s attacks more than once. After receiving numerous “rude and annoying messages” from ProbablyOnion on Twitter, Brian Krebs blocked the teen. More than a month later after blocking him, Krebs received a phone call from his local police department checking everything was okay at Krebs address. As this is not the first time Krebs has been attacked, the police check that everything is okay and if no response is received the appropriate law enforcement will be notified and dispatched. To no surprise Krebs was not begin held hostage and in fact was just fine.

Minutes after Krebs received the call, ProbablyOnion was found bragging on Twitter to Krebs, “You have 5 hostages? And you will kill 1 hostage every 6 times and the police have 25 minutes to get you $100k in clear plastic. –tweet” Another message read: “Good morning! Just dispatched a swat team to your house, they didn’t even call you this time, hahaha. –tweet”

After “swatting” Krebs, the teen opened his doors for business. Posting a tweet reading: “want someone swatted? Tweet me their name, address and I’ll make it happen.”

A number of Twitter users apparently utilized his service. All told, ProbablyOnion would claim responsibility for more than two dozen swatting and bomb threat incidents at schools and other locations across the United States.

After failing to swat Krebs the first time, the teen tried once again. ProbablyOnion asked Krebs on Twitter, “How’s your door?”, Krebs replied “Door’s fine, Curtis. But I’m guessing yours won’t be soon. Nice opsec!”

Krebs believed to have identified the teen by a leaked document on pastebin. The documents identified ProbablyOnion as a 19-year-old Curtis Gervais from Ontario Canada. ProbablyOnion disregarded Krebs tweet not denying the accuracy on the information, but noting the document had gotten his age wrong.

On May 8th ProbablyOnion unknowingly sent his last tweet, “Still awaiting for the horsies to bash down my door”, minutes after clicking post law enforcement arrested the 16-year-old believed to be ProbablyOnion.