- Cyberbullying incidents reported in six regions of Germany
Raids in residences spanning six different regions have resulted in ten individuals being taken into custody by law enforcement. These individuals are believed to be significant figures within the digital collective "New World Order." They have been accused of serving as the masterminds behind a criminal ring, orchestrating a systematic campaign of cyberbullying and cyberstalking. This was made public by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) based in Wiesbaden, as well as the Central Office for Combating Cybercrime (ZIT) of the General Prosecutor's Office in Frankfurt am Main.
During these investigations, carried out in Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, and Lower Saxony, law enforcement agents confiscated a variety of digital equipment and storage devices for further examination. According to the BKA and ZIT, the leaders of this so-called "New World Order" group frequently singled out "susceptible or mentally impaired individuals" from the online streaming community, subjecting them to harassment, threats, and ridicule.
Insulting and discriminatory content was also shared within the respective comment sections. The primary goal of this organization, supposedly, was to humiliate the victims and drive them away from their online platforms. Personal information of the victims was additionally disclosed online.
Another tactic employed by the organization, according to the BKA and ZIT, was the misuse of emergency services. This included making false calls to fire departments, reporting a supposed fire in the victim's apartment, requesting a gas company visit due to an alleged gas leak coming from the victim's apartment, or alerting the police about an alleged violent incident taking place within the victim's apartment. The purpose behind a police call was to have specialized teams storm the victim's apartment during a live broadcast and apprehend them - a practice known as "swatting."
The members of the "New World Order" group often utilized the Internet to spread their insulting and discriminatory content towards their targets. Furthermore, they exploited online platforms to orchestrate swattings, falsely reporting incidents to the police and emergency services with the aim of disrupting their victims' live streams.
