Attempted Swatting Targets Senator Rick Scott's Naples Home

U.S. Senator Rick Scott's residence in Naples was the target of a second attempted "swatting" incident on Thanksgiving morning, November 27, 2025, just before 1:00 a.m.. Swatting is the malicious act of filing a false emergency report, typically intended to prompt a large and potentially aggressive armed police response, often involving SWAT teams, at a specific, unsuspecting location.

Naples Police officers were dispatched to Scott's home after receiving the false report, which was submitted via email. The law enforcement team was able to quickly contact the senator’s family and confirm their safety. The senator was not at the residence at the time of the incident, and police conducted a full search before declaring the home clear. Law enforcement noted that the language used in this false report was similar to a previous attempted swatting incident that targeted the Scott home in December 2023. In that earlier incident, the caller falsely claimed a shooting had occurred and that they had taken a hostage while threatening to use a pipe bomb, demanding $10,000.

The Naples Police Department has highlighted the severe public risk created by these hoaxes. Authorities emphasize that swatting incidents are a waste of crucial public resources and pose a direct danger to both law enforcement officers who respond to a high-threat scenario and the residents who are falsely targeted.

In response to being targeted twice, Senator Scott has committed to continuing his legislative efforts to strengthen the consequences for individuals responsible for making these calls. He is actively working to pass his proposed Preserving Safe Communities by Ending Swatting Act. Separately, the State of Florida has already taken action by passing the False Reporting Bill, which increased penalties for swatting calls. Under state law, a swatting call that results in a death carries a possible 15-year jail sentence, while a call leading to a serious injury is punishable by up to five years in jail. Both the Thanksgiving incident and the earlier one in 2023 remain under active investigation as authorities work to identify the perpetrator.