Students at Towson and Morgan State universities evacuated campus areas after the schools received bomb threats on Tuesday. In the end, law enforcement determined that neither threat was credible, according to university officials.

They were two of several universities in the U.S. to face false threats of violence on Tuesday, and it’s not the first time schools in Maryland have been on lockdown over these types of threats this academic year.

Morgan State University, the subject of an emailed bomb threat to their library on Tuesday, also received a “phone threat” on Sept. 12. That threat came just one day after a string of historically Black colleges and universities were placed on lockdowns across the country. University officials later determined the threats weren’t credible.

At the United States Naval Academy, a midshipman and a police officer were injured on Sept. 11 as misinformation swirled around an active shooter threat that was never real.

About 30 miles west of the academy, the University of Maryland, College Park, was warned on Sept. 2 of a potential active shooter. A university officer patrolling the campus found no evidence of gunshots.

As the academic year has kicked off, these Maryland universities have all been the target of what is known as “hoax threats” or “swatting.” These false claims of active shooters, bombs or violence are often made online or through anonymous phone calls. The intention is often to draw in law enforcement, create chaos and instill fear, according to a handout from federal law enforcement.

For educational institutions, it can result in campus lockdowns and a flood of online misinformation as officers hunt down suspects.

Feds are tracking the increase in fake threats

While swatting isn’t a new concept, law enforcement officials and experts on extremism said it is becoming more common.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement in September that there has been an increase in swatting events across the country, though it is unclear by how much. The agency started a database in 2023 with a collection of swatting reports from local law enforcement, but would not disclose the data.

The FBI has arrested several alleged “serial swatters” in recent years, including one teenager who was behind hundreds of the fake calls.

After a fake active shooter threat was made to the U.S. Naval Academy in September, a former midshipman who is accused of making the claim was arrested in Indiana. He was charged with making a threat across state lines.

No arrests have been made regarding the UMD threat, which university officials said was one of 20 universities across the country targeted that week. It’s not clear if arrests were made in any other instance this year.

It’s a trend among online subcultures, experts say

Experts on domestic extremism agree false threats are becoming more common.

Jon Lewis, a research fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, said it’s an easy way to cause chaos or fear.

At times, those behind the hoax threats do so alone. But in some cases, Lewis said violent extremists might use swatting or hoax threats to attack an institution, person or community. Both the FBI and Lewis have warned that it’s an easy entry point for young people to start engaging in extreme online groups.

“What’s really challenging here is how pervasive it’s become and how popular it’s become,” Lewis said. “This kind of activity is something that’s a really slippery slope to pushing people further down those rabbit holes.”

The FBI has warned that a prominent group known as “The Com,” which is made up of various online communities, is responsible for many swatting incidents in the United States. Some subsets of The Com even offer “swat-for-hire” services for those engaging with the group, according to the FBI.

How to protect yourself

Hoax threats are often meant to evoke strong emotional reactions from targets, said Erin Miller, who led the Global Terrorism Database research program at the University of Maryland. The goal is not only to make victims feel afraid, but also to create uncertainty and confusion where things can go wrong quickly.

In the midst of a lockdown or potential active shooter event, “you have a situation where people are acting on very understandable human nature,” Miller said. “So sharing information very carefully, consuming information very carefully, is always going to be critically important.”

“One of the best lessons I learned about avoiding misinformation yourself is if something makes you very happy or very angry, just think twice about it,” said Miller.