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Torswats uses synthesized voices to pressure law enforcement to specific locations:
"Hello, I just committed a crime and I want to confess," a panicked sounding man said in a call to a police department in February. "I've placed explosives inside a local school,' the man continued.
"You did what?!" the operator responded.
"I've placed explosives inside a local school," the man said again, before specifying Hempstead High School in Dubuque, Iowa, and providing its address. In response to the threat, the school went on lockdown, and police searched the school but found nothing, according to a local media report.
The bombs weren't real. But, crucially, neither was the man's voice. The panicked man's lines sound artificially generated, according to recordings of the swatting calls reviewed by Motherboard. It is unclear how exactly the caller generated the voice, be that some form of artificial intelligence tool or another speech synthesis program. The result, though, is a voice that sounds very consistent across multiple calls.
[...] Known as "Torswats" on the messaging app Telegram, the swatter has been calling in bomb and mass shooting threats against highschools and other locations across the country. Torswat's connection to these wide ranging swatting incidents has not been previously reported. The further automation of swatting techniques threatens to make an already dangerous harassment technique more prevalent.
[...] Torswats carries out these threatening calls as part of a paid service they offer. For $75, Torswats says they will close down a school. For $50, Torswats says customers can buy "extreme swattings," in which authorities will handcuff the victim and search the house. Torswats says they offer discounts to returning customers, and can negotiate prices for "famous people and targets such as Twitch streamers." Torswats says on their Telegram channel that they take payment in cryptocurrency.
(Score: 2) by RedGreen on Monday April 17, @12:55AM (4 children)
"The good news: we also think the "stupid American" jokes are funny. :)"
Rick Mercer had a great "Talking with Americans" segment on his TV show that was usually funny as hell, that displayed that to perfection..
"I modded down, down, down, and the flames went higher." -- Sven Olsen
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 17, @01:13AM
You don't need to wait for just a "segment" on someone's TV show for that. You can get three full hours of that *every* day from Washington Journal [c-span.org].
Enjoy!
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Monday April 17, @10:52AM (2 children)
Now you're really making me think you're Steve Smith!
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by RedGreen on Monday April 17, @05:32PM (1 child)
Well I have seen every episode of his show, I do believe some of it certainly must have stuck. After all how could it not with constantly seeing the McGyver of the woods and such pearls of wisdom passed along "If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.". :)
"I modded down, down, down, and the flames went higher." -- Sven Olsen
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday April 18, @04:39PM
"Remember, you may have to grow old, but you don't have to mature." ;)
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---