In the last week, schools up and down the country have been subjected to fake bomb threats.
These hoaxes are distressing and waste precious police time and resources.
But in the US, these kinds of calls happen all too often - and they can be far deadlier.
With the details, here’s our World News Editor Kate Gregan.
A terrifying moment as a heavily armed SWAT team bursts through the door…. But imagine if they’d been summoned by a prank caller.
It’s called swatting - when someone calls 911 to report a crime in progress, sending a special weapons and tactics team to your home.
It's a dangerous prank that's found its way into the public eye in recent years because of some high-profile, celebrity victims.
Singer Miley Cyrus was also targeted.
SWAT teams have also been called to the homes of Tom Cruise, Justin Bieber, and Clint Eastwood.
But this hoax has led to the deaths of innocent people.
A fake call led to police shooting and killing an innocent man in Kansas in 2017.
The caller, Tyler Barriss, didn't know the victim but was a serial SWATTER.
He made at least 51 phoney emergency calls and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
There aren't any national statistics about how many swatting incidents occur each year, but the FBI estimates hundreds - with each one costing on average US$10,000.
Former FBI agent Brad Garrett told ABC News - some callers do it for fun or the fame.
"People primarily SWAT because of the thrill of it, it's a power thing."
Cases of swatting often stem from the online gaming community - with rival gamers going after one another for revenge.
