Justin Bieber's Calabasas Home Becomes Latest Target Of Swatting Prank
CALABASAS (CBSLA.com) — A 911 call that led police to Justin Bieber's Calabasas home on Wednesday morning turned out to be a hoax.
Around 1:40 a.m., police received an emergency call from a person claiming someone was waving a gun next to the home, according to TMZ.
After investigating the home, authorities deemed the call a "swatting" prank.
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck vowed last week to hunt down the pranksters who have been calling in false reports about celebrity homes over the past few months.
On Oct. 3, police received a call reporting a home-invasion and shots fired at Ashton Kutcher's Hollywood residence.
Officials also responded to a reported kidnapping and shooting at Miley Cyrus' Studio City home in August.
Both incidents were deemed pranks.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation claims some pranksters can make the 911 call appear as though it's coming from the home where they've reported the fake incident. That's been dubbed as "spoofing."
The FBI said there is no financial gain, so the suspects must be motivated by bragging rights and egomania.
Both "swatting" and "spoofing" are federal felonies that also result in a $10,000 fine.
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