Gordon Ramsay was the latest celebrity to be targeted in a swatting scam, according to authorities. The famous Hell's Kitchen chef, 58, had his Bel Air, California home surrounded by police after a prankster who called the cops to dispatch emergency services, law enforcement officers told TMZ on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said it responded to a report made by an unknown person at 8.40PM on Tuesday.
They claimed there was a gunman opening fire at the Hell’s Kitchen star’s Bel Air mansion. However, when police arrived at the scene, they found no evidence of a shootout. Neighbours had also confirmed nothing had happened at the property, according to TMZ. According to the AP, "Swatting is the practice of making a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about the dispatch of a large number of armed police officers to a particular address.
"Bomb threats go back decades in the US, but swatting has become especially popular in recent years as people and groups target celebrities and politicians."
Law enforcement told the outlet that a probe has been launched in connection with the incident.
Express.co.uk has contacted Gordon Ramsay's representatives for comment.
Swatting has impacted a number of famous faces over the years including Cardi B, Rihanna, Jennifer Aniston, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Paris Hilton and Chris Brown, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and even the Playboy Mansion.
Prior to 2020, stars such as Pharrell, Lil Wayne, Simon Cowell, Tom Cruise, Ashton Kutcher and Sean 'Diddy' Combs were targeted for the dangerous prank.
In February, Gordon revealed he was the victim of another crime as thieves had stolen ornaments from his Lucy Cat restaurant.
The first Lucky Cat was opened in London’s Mayfair in 2019 and is "inspired by Tokyo’s 1930s kissas and Shanghai drinking dens".
In just a single week, nearly 500 of these cat figurines were stolen.
Speaking on The Jonathan Ross Show, Gordon revealed: "The cats are getting stolen. There were 477 stolen last week – they cost £4.50 each."
In total, the cost of the stolen cats comes to more than £2,000.
