Man charged over hoax triple-0 calls linked to TikTok ‘swatting’ trend

An innocent TikTok star livestreaming near Sydney’s Town Hall this week became the target of dangerous trend called swatting, where a hoax emergency call is made to elicit a SWAT-team-like response. A man (inset) has been charged over the incident.

An illegal immigrant has been charged with making several hoax calls to triple-0, claiming a well-known Australian TikToker was armed with a gun as he live-streamed in the city.

Tanzil Khandaker was arrested on Tuesday, after police launched an investigation into up to 12 alleged hoax calls he made to police over the past month.

The hoax calls are a dangerous new social media trend known as swatting, which is defined as “a practice where someone makes a false emergency call claiming there’s a hoax threat, with a bomb or gun, all in an effort to elicit a SWAT team like response.”

Tanzil Khandaker is accused of making the hoax calls.

Sydney TikTok personality Timstar was allegedly targeted in a hoax triple-0 call trend. Picture: Supplied

Khandaker – who is in Australia illegally after overstaying his visa – called police about 9.30pm on April 12, reporting a male was armed with a firearm at the Town Hall light rail stop.

The Telegraph can reveal the 28-year-old claimed the person with the gun was Sydney TikToker Timstar, who boasts more than 63,000 followers.

In his call, Khandaker allegedly reported exactly what clothing Timstar was wearing, and his real-time movements, telling operators the social media personality was live-streaming himself online.

Police responded immediately, and viewed the livestream and CCTV footage, which showed Timstar did not have a gun and had not done anything wrong.

Timstar with police after the hoax triple-0 call.

Thousands of viewers were watching Timstar as several officers swarmed him on the light rail platform.

Inquiries revealed that a similar incident was reported in the Campsie area about 5am the same day.

Detectives from Campsie and Sydney City Police Area Commands teamed up to investigate Khandaker’s alleged calls and raided his Lakemba home on Tuesday.

He was arrested and taken to Bankstown Police Station where he was charged with 13 offences, including 12 counts of give false information person/property in danger and make vexatious call to emergency service number.

He faced Bankstown Local Court on Tuesday where he was refused bail, and is set to spend the next six weeks behind bars before he faces court again in July.

The Telegraph understands police from other commands across Sydney are investigating similar vexatious calls.

Originally published as Man charged over hoax triple-0 calls linked to TikTok ‘swatting’ trend