It could be a prank, pulled by a teenager in another state. They call 911 with a report of hostages and guns, hiding their real phone number ID. The cops come with guns drawn.

Called "swatting" - for the callers' efforts to get a SWAT team to respond to their pranks - this relatively new cyber crime has piqued the interest of authorities nationwide. In it, cyber criminals make prank life-and-death 911 calls that appear to be originating from others' homes.

Although nowhere near as prolific or troublesome as other financially enticing cyber crimes, several swatting arrests have shed light on the perverse practice.

"We really don't see anyone making a profit from this," said Bryan Duchene, supervising agent in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles cyber crimes unit. "It's just a twisted way for people to have fun."

A kid in Washington state is in jail awaiting trial and faces 18 years. It's a long way from "your refrigerator is running."