Gardaí probe whether boy spoken to after Clare schools 'mass shootings' email was hacked

It is understood that the boy claims he is a victim of a hack, and gardaí are examining if his gaming platform was remotely accessed by someone to send the malicious message

Gardaí will examine the boy's gaming account to try and “rule in or out” the possibility the threatening email was caused by a remote hacker.

Gardaí are investigating the possibility that a teenage boy who was suspected of sending an email to schools in Co Clare threatening mass shootings was the victim of an external hack.

It is understood that the boy is claiming he is a victim of this and gardaí are now examining whether or not his gaming platform was remotely accessed by someone to send the malicious message.

Investigators will conduct an examination of his gaming account to try and “rule in or out” the possibility.

It is thought that local gardaí might consult the divisional cyber crime unit to assist in the forensic examination of the boy's online accounts and home networks.

The email sent to the schools contains a username in the boy’s name, with his name and full address also repeated in the opening line of the message.

The email is also dated in the US format of month, day, year.

While detectives are investigating this as a line of inquiry, they are not discounting the possibility the boy did send the message, for whatever reason.

The hacking scam is known as “swatting” and cyber sources have explained to the Irish Examiner that it a “big problem” in the US.

“It’s where people will send in fake reports to the police of serious crimes being committed so that the person will get in trouble with the law, for example, reporting gun shots being fired at the swatting victim’s address,” one source said. 

“In the US it has the added danger or 'advantage' that the police may shoot the victim during their raid.” 

It is understood that while this hack began in the gaming community it later spread elsewhere online among cyber criminals.

‘Swatters’ have also targeted people by also making phone calls to emergency lines and falsely reporting an emergency at their target’s home address.