SCAT Bus Bomb Threat Considered 'SWATing' Hoax

Sheriff's detectives are treating a bomb threat called in Monday morning regarding buses as a hoax.

At about 9:15 a.m., Monday the Sarasota County switchboard received a call from an undetermined number with a male caller saying authorities have 24 hours to figure out which SCAT bus had a bomb on it, according to the sheriff's office. The caller then hung up.

Fortunately for the detectives, the search took place today as SCAT canceled all bus service due to Tropical Storm Isaac. All busses at the depot were thoroughly searched and no explosive devices were found, according to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office is trying to trace the call and believe it's a SWATing case, where people hack Internet telephony programs, some of them even used on XBox Live, to manipulate the system to make a call appear as if it is coming from a local number.

The hoax got its nickname because traditionally the fake calls prompt a SWAT team to an unsuspecting victim's house or another location.

At this time Sheriff’s Office detectives are trying to trace the origin of the call. They suspect this may be another instance of “SWATing.”

And that's exactly what happened on Feb. 26 on Botany Avenue in Sarasota, when . They later determined that incident was a SWATing hoax. No arrests have been made in that case yet.

Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to call Criminal Investigations at 941-861-4922.

Callers can also leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at 941-366-TIPS (8477), or online at www.sarasotacrimestoppers.com or via text message by texting TIP109 plus a message to CRIMES (274637).