GORDON Ramsay’s home was surrounded by police after a prank caller told cops they heard gunfire in the top chef’s mansion.
Ramsay is the latest California-based star to be targeted by a “swatting” scam.
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The 58-year-old chef’s residence was swarmed by armed cops earlier this week.
They were called at 8.40pm on Tuesday to the chef’s mansion in Bel Air.
An unknown individual told police that a gunman had opened fire at the residence.
But cops in Los Angeles quickly established that the reports were a hoax.
Neighbours confirmed that nothing had happened.
Sources have told TMZ that Ramsay was not home at the time.
Police have put it down to another “swatting” incident – a hoax call to the emergency services aimed at triggering a major response.
Ramsay has not yet commented on the events.
A probe into the incident has been launched and detectives are currently investigating.
However, no arrests have been made so far.
It makes Ramsay the latest celebrity to be targeted in a swatting prank.
What is “swatting”
Swatting is an internet prank where someone makes a hoax phone call reporting a serious crime to emergency services.
Pranks might involve calling police to a fake major incident such as a shooting or a robbery.
This can even involve a SWAT team being deployed to the property – which is where the prank get its name.
Several celebrities have been on the receiving end of such pranks over the past few years.
Earlier this month, Nicki Minaj’s home was swarmed by officers responding to another fake report of a shooting.
Top Gun star Tom Cruise was also a swatting victim back in 2013.
Beverly Hills cops came to his mansion after being told there was an “armed robbery in progress.”
No sign of trouble was found when police arrived.
Chris Brown, Rihanna, and Justin Bieber are among the other LA based celebs to have been on the receiving end.
But it’s not just celebrities who have been victims of swatting.
Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley’s South Carolina home was raided last year following a fake call.
Bomb threats and swatting callouts were also made against several of Donald Trump’s cabinet picks last year.
It came following the American president’s victory over Kamala Harris in November.
Sometimes these pranks can have tragic consequences.
One particularly horrific case came in 2017 when a man was shot dead by police after a hoax police report was phoned in.
Father Andrew Finch was fatally hit by the Wichita Police Department after cops were alerted of a suspected hostage situation at his house.
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