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Explained in plain English

Why send hoax bomb threats?

Hoax bomb threats, though disruptive, are rarely random. They can test emergency responses, identify vulnerabilities, or simply cause chaos and fear. Sometimes, they are a 'dry run' to see how quickly and effectively authorities react, potentially paving the way for a more serious incident later. This helps explain why cyber specialists are involved.

Stories that explain this

Hoax bomb threats emailed to 6,300 Italian schools and hundreds across the UK

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Is sending a hoax a crime? Why send a hoax bomb threat? Why target so many schools? How do bomb threats work? Why bother with hoax threats? What happens if you make a bomb hoax? How often are bomb threats real? Who pays for bomb threats?

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