Teen swatting suspects arrested in Hungary and Romania

Hungarian and Romanian police have arrested four young suspects in connection with bomb threats, false emergency calls and the misuse of personal data — part of online swatting incidents that prompted repeated police deployments across the region.

In a statement earlier this week, Hungarian police said the suspects include a 17-year-old Romanian national and three Hungarians aged 16, 18 and 20. Law enforcement raided their homes earlier this month, seizing computers and mobile phones as part of a joint investigation.

The probe began in mid-July after police across Hungary received a series of alarming reports, including threats to bomb schools, religious institutions and residential buildings, as well as warnings of planned attacks on police units and threats to kill named individuals. Each report triggered emergency responses before authorities determined the calls were false.

Authorities said the incidents were part of coordinated swatting and doxing campaigns — tactics that involve filing fake reports of serious crimes and leaking personal information to intimidate or harass victims. Police said the suspects initially contacted victims on the Discord app, obtained their phone numbers and personal details, and then used that information to place false emergency calls in their names.

According to Hungarian police, the 16-year-old suspect was questioned on suspicion of threatening the public but denied the charges and was released pending further proceedings. The 17-year-old Romanian was charged with terrorist acts, making threats to endanger the public, multiple counts of false reporting and misuse of personal data. The legal status of the two older Hungarian suspects has yet to be determined, as investigators analyze seized data to clarify their roles.

In January 2025, bomb threat emails were sent to more than 200 schools and other educational institutions across Hungary, prompting temporary closures, authorities said at the time. No explosives were found. Officials said the messages, which contained similar wording, were likely from a single individual. It is unclear whether those incidents are connected to the suspects arrested this week.

In a separate investigation announced earlier this week, Romanian authorities said they had uncovered an online marketplace allegedly designed to allow users to hire assassins while concealing identities and financial transactions. Two Romanian nationals are under investigation in connection with that operation.