FBI Situational Intelligence Report

• 6 pages
• Law Enforcement Sensitive
• March 5, 2009

(U//LES) “Partyvan Pranks” Responsible for “SWATTING” and Hoax Bomb Threats to Purdue and Various Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Universities from 15 – 26 February 2009

(U//LES) FBI Atlanta is releasing this Situational Intelligence Report (SIR) in conjunction with the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Men’s Basketball Tournament Special Events Threat Assessment (SETA) disseminated 20 February 2009, to inform local and state law enforcement, as well as Georgia World Congress Center and Georgia Dome security of several hoax bomb threats to Purdue and various ACC Universities from 15 February 2009 to 26 February 2009.

(U//LES) Anonymous tipsters provided information to the Purdue University Police Department (PUPD) and University of North Carolina (UNC) Department of Public Safety (DPS) that linked members of “Partyvan Pranks” to the 15 February 2009, bomb threats, and subsequent bomb threats at Florida State University (FSU), Clemson University, and Boston College (BC). Anonymous tipsters advised that “Partyvan Pranks”, a group of hackers who engage in “SWATTING” (making false emergency calls to elicit law enforcement response), was responsible for the incidents.

(U//LES) The tipsters described “SWATTING” as a technique in which “Partyvan Pranks” members and other prank groups call various law enforcement agencies using telephone numbers that trace to different numbers. This enables “SWATTERS” to make hoax threats without giving away their identity. “Partyvan Pranks” members use Internet phone services such as Skype or Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) to broadcast the prank calls using Ventrillo, voice communication software. “Partyvan Pranks” members generally choose venues with Closed Circuit television (CCTV) cameras in order to video capture the response from local law enforcement. FBI Charlotte believes that “Partyvan Pranks” group members are technology savvy high school kids, who charge visitors using PayPal accounts to watch videos of their pranks on their website (www.PartyVanPranks.com) and Youtube.

(U//LES) FBI Charlotte provided the following detailing potential group members:

• (U// LES) Tyrone: A 15 year old white male from Raleigh, NC, whose true name is Ashton Lundeby. A tipster claims that Tyrone and other group members have “SWATTED” venues throughout the United States.

• (U// LES) Britfag: User name for a YouTube account. UNC DPS stated that Britfag’s voice in various YouTube videos matches the prank caller’s voice in both the UNC bomb threat and subsequent threat at FSU.

(U//LES) Specific dates for the recent bomb threats at each University are as follows:

• (U// LES) 15 February 2009 at UNC

Caller made hoax bomb threat at 8:49 PM.

• (U// LES) 15 February 2009 at Purdue University

Caller advised he placed three bombs in the Mechanical Engineering Building at 9:10 PM. A second caller made a hoax bomb threat shortly thereafter. The first caller then made two additional hoax bomb threats.

• (U// LES) 20 or 21 February 2009 at FSU

Caller advised he placed a bomb in the Leach Center. All personnel evacuated the building. Prank caller’s voice strongly resembles the caller from the UNC bomb threat.

• (U// LES) 23 February 2009 at Clemson University

• (U// LES) 26 February 2009 at Boston College

(U// LES) FBI Atlanta assesses that “Partyvan Pranks” and other “SWATTERS” may target large venues in the future. There is no indication that “Partyvan Pranks” plan to “SWAT” the 2009 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament; however, local law enforcement and event security need to be aware of the threat possibility because UNC, FSU, Clemson University, and BC will participate in the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament in Atlanta, GA, 12-15 March 2009.

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