A Welsh man identified as an administrator of the dark web doxing platform Doxbin has been sentenced to prison for encouraging and assisting swatting attacks targeting people and organizations in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada.
Callum Dare, 26, of Talbot Green, received a sentence of two years and three months at Cardiff Crown Court after pleading guilty to encouraging or assisting the commission of malicious communications and possessing an article for use in fraud.
Swatting involves making a false report of a serious emergency in an attempt to trigger an armed police response at an innocent person’s home, workplace, or another location. These incidents can place victims and responding officers at significant risk while diverting emergency resources from genuine emergencies.
Doxbin Administrator Encouraged Attacks
The international investigation began after the FBI contacted South Wales Police and the Tarian Regional Organised Crime Unit in May 2019.
Investigators had traced a series of swatting incidents to Doxbin and a related chat channel where users discussed swatting, doxing, and other criminal activity. Dare was identified as a Doxbin administrator and active participant in the platform’s #deadnet channel.
Authorities said Dare did not personally place the hoax emergency calls. Instead, he encouraged and assisted other users in targeting people and organizations.
Messages recovered during the investigation reportedly connected him to multiple incidents in the United States and Canada. Digital forensic evidence also showed that he produced edited video compilations of emergency responses using footage collected from livestreams and other online sources.
The videos were shared inside the Doxbin channel to encourage others to carry out similar swatting attacks.
Cardiff Street Evacuated Over Nail Bomb Hoax
Investigators also linked Dare to a serious swatting incident in Cardiff on December 17, 2018.
A caller contacted a journalist and falsely claimed to be armed with nail bombs while holding hostages inside the Sandringham Hotel on St Mary Street.
Armed police responded by evacuating and closing the busy city-centre street, causing significant disruption during the Christmas shopping period.
A forensic examination of Dare’s devices uncovered CCTV footage, audio, and news coverage of the incident that had been edited into a video featuring the Doxbin logo.
Another incident involved a false report to the Los Angeles Police Department claiming bombs had been placed beneath chairs inside a University of California lecture theatre. The threat also resulted in an evacuation.
Other attacks discussed during the case targeted universities and individuals, including a Canadian programmer whose home was surrounded by police after a caller falsely claimed to have shot someone, taken hostages, and possessed explosives.
Phishing Kit Found on Devices
Police examining Dare’s devices also discovered a phishing kit known as “The Man in the Onion.”
The software was designed to imitate dark web marketplaces and capture login credentials. Investigators said the stolen information could potentially have been used to access cryptocurrency wallets, payment accounts, or other services belonging to dark web users.
There was no evidence presented that Dare deployed the phishing kit in a real-world attack. He was nevertheless charged with possessing an article intended for use in fraud.
International Investigation Leads to Sentencing
The case involved cooperation between the FBI, Canadian authorities, South Wales Police, Tarian ROCU, and the Crown Prosecution Service.
Investigators reportedly connected online usernames associated with the Doxbin administrator to a PayPal account, an email address, and eventually Dare’s identity and home address.
The Crown Prosecution Service said Dare endangered people by encouraging armed police responses for his own gratification.
The case highlights how administrators and online participants can face criminal liability even when they do not personally make a hoax call. Encouraging attacks, providing information, celebrating incidents, or helping others select targets can still contribute directly to dangerous real-world consequences.
Swatting is not a harmless online prank. False emergency reports can result in armed confrontations, injuries, deaths, widespread disruption, and emergency services being pulled away from people who genuinely need assistance.
