FBI investigates fake 911 call from stolen or cloned cell phone
FBI investigates fake 911 call from stolen or cloned cell phone
The FBI will investigate the realistic, but fake, 911 call that sent officers rushing to a Hiawatha company on Tuesday.Hiawatha Police Chief Rick Pierce says the hoax became a federal case because the call originated from somewhere on the west coast...possibly from a stolen or "cloned" cell phone.
Officers say three separate calls to 9-1-1 dispatchers Tuesday were so realistic people could hearing yelling and screaming and even gunfire in the background. But when police and ambulance units arrived at the Crystal Group office in Hiawatha they found no gunmen and only confused workers.
Wednesday, investigators said they had a better idea of what may have happened. Chief Pierce says someone called several offices at the Crystal Group Tuesday asking about phone system passwords.
One worker at the company mistakenly gave out a "pin" number. With that number, pranksters could dial from out of state, but make it appear the call originated at the Hiawatha business.
Chief Pierce says he's convinced the person who faked the call was not an average hacker, but someone familiar with phone systems.
No one connected with emergency dispatch at the Linn County Communications Center can recall anything this elaborate in the way of a fake 9-1-1 call. Officers say this call was especially dangerous not only to officers responding, but also for people at the company who could have reacted inappropriately to the appearance of armed officers.
Hiawatha officials say they believe the FBI may have some experience with similar hoaxes elsewhere.
Hiawatha police were unable to trace the origin of the call beyond somewhere on the west coast.
