NSW teen charged for multiple hoax calls to major retail, education institutions in United States

A NSW juvenile has been charged following an AFP Taskforce Pompilid investigation into multiple hoax calls to major education and retail institutions in the United States.

The AFP launched Taskforce Pompilid in October 2025 to combat members of online decentralised crime networks using their perceived anonymity and online sophistication to engage in criminal behaviour.

The AFP launched an investigation after receiving intelligence from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) concerning an Australian-based member of a decentralised online crime network suspected of being linked to the ‘swatting’ of major retail and education institutions in the United States.

‘Swatting’ is a serious criminal act where hoax calls are made to emergency services to trigger an urgent and large-scale emergency response.

The AFP will allege the boy made multiple hoax ‘swatting’ reports to emergency services falsely claiming mass shootings were taking place at major retail and educational institutions in the United States.

Read more: Australian Federal Police