How a “Digital Manhunt” Exposes a Swatter
Swatters often hide behind spoofed caller ID or internet telephony, but modern 911 and telecom infrastructure leaves a trail:
- 911 Call Metadata (ANI/ALI): Public Safety Answering Points receive the caller’s number (ANI) and location record (ALI) or a “pseudo-ANI” for wireless calls, which can be used to identify the originating provider and call path—even if the visible caller ID was spoofed. mn-mesb.org
- Carrier and VoIP Logs: Investigators subpoena the originating carrier/VoIP service for call detail records, account data, payment instruments, IP login history, and device identifiers. Spoofing commonly rides over VoIP, which providers can document. LEB
- STIR/SHAKEN Authentication: Under the TRACED Act, carriers implement caller-ID authentication; attestation data traveling with calls helps trace the upstream source and identify where spoofing occurred. Federal Communications Commission Federal Register
- Pen Register/Trap-and-Trace Orders: When appropriate, courts can authorize real-time dialing/receiving metadata capture to map contact networks tied to a suspect line or account. Texas DCAA Center for Democracy and Technology
- Preservation and Stored-Records Process: Investigators can issue preservation requests and seek court orders under the Stored Communications Act to lock down and obtain metadata swiftly—before it disappears. Department of Justice
Put together, these tools allow detectives to peel back spoofing layers, correlate IPs to subscriber accounts, and—if needed—coordinate across jurisdictions or federally if the communication crossed state lines.
