Swatting, @Tennessee, and the Pizza Problem

AI's Summary of the @Tennessee Story:

The @Tennessee story from Darknet Diaries illustrates the tragic consequences of swatting. A Twitter user named Mark Herring, who owned the coveted @Tennessee handle, became the target of harassment by individuals wanting to acquire his username. This harassment escalated to swatting, where a false report led to a police response at his home. Tragically, Herring suffered a heart attack during the police confrontation and passed away. The swatting was part of a larger scheme by individuals to obtain valuable social media handles through intimidation and threats. This incident underscores the severe risks of swatting and its potential to cause irreversible harm.

The Pizza Story:

This episode of Darknet Diaries, titled "The Pizza Problem," recounts the story of Miles, an early adopter of Twitter and Instagram. He chose a simple, animal-themed username, which became desirable over time. He received numerous offers to buy this handle, but he declined them all. However, in 2016, after interacting with a potential buyer, he experienced a SIM-swap attack, losing control of his phone service and subsequently his email, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. Though he regained control of these accounts, the incident highlighted the vulnerability of his digital identity.

In 2019, Miles faced another SIM-swap attempt, escalating to threats against his family. He managed to prevent account compromises but was deeply affected by the threats. The situation escalated in 2021 when he and his family received numerous unsolicited pizza deliveries, a form of harassment linked to his coveted Instagram username.

Eventually, he received a message demanding he relinquish his Instagram handle or face continuous harassment. Despite his initial resistance, the ongoing stress and involvement of his family led Miles to surrender the handle. He interacted with the harasser, who revealed that he was involved in the lucrative trade of desirable social media handles and worked in cybersecurity. The harasser later offered to return the handle in exchange for a favor, but Miles had already moved on, reflecting on the ordeal and its impact on his life and security awareness.