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Hoax Threats Cause Real Consequences

With the rise of technologies like texting and social media, hoax threats made via these platforms have also become evermore common. In collaboration with the FBI, local police and prosecutors have launched the “Think Before You Post” program, which aims to remind the public that hoax threats cause real, sometimes dire, consequences. When such threats are made online, emergency response teams act, and schools can be shutdown, costing taxpayer dollars.  The message of the “Think Before You Post” program is that threats made via social media and text messages are nothing to joke about.

According to Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, prosecutors will hold responsible anyone caught making such threats. Those individuals may also be liable for the costs incurred in response to the threats. “If you make a false threat that requires a response from emergency agencies, you can be charged with the cost of those agencies having to respond to that false threat,” he said. In many cases, it is likely to cost several thousand dollars, at a minimum.

In addition to being wasteful, online hoaxes can cause unnecessary strain on law enforcement and medical response crews. Michael DeLeon of the FBI in Phoenix said, “Hoax threats put a drain on limited resources,” he continued “It wastes taxpayer dollars and puts first responders in unnecessary danger.”


According to DeLeon, there are a variety of reasons that prompt a person to post or text a false threat. Some do it seeking attention and others may be considering revenge. One recent hoax caused the absence of between 1,300 and 1,500 students at a local school according to Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams. “A hoax that prompted this came from a student who simply didn’t want to go to school,” she said.

Prison time and fines are some of the potential consequences for those criminally charged with posting a hoax threat. Parents are encouraged to talk to their children about the consequences of making this type of costly mistake.