When it rings and the pizza delivery person is at the door, it’s a reason for joy for most people. But what if dozens of delivery drivers show up with food that you never ordered? Such food raids are a major problem on Twitch, yet hardly anyone talks about it.
What is this problem? The so-called swatting has become a well-known issue on Twitch: This involves police or fire department deployments triggered by false emergency calls. The term derives from the U.S. Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.
When a Twitch streamer shares her trauma after such a swatting incident or when you read that a 28-year-old was shot during such an incident, the “little brother” of swatting initially appears relatively harmless: unwanted food orders delivered to streamers’ homes.
But even these food raids are a serious problem and have far-reaching consequences, much more than one might assume at first glance. The organization TeamKompass e. V. works with those affected. On their website, they also raise awareness about the issue.
The Twitch streamer Tanzverbot recently reported that he has experienced over 100 swatting incidents and food raids.
Mental Strain and Economic Damage
Why are food raids such a problem? For those affected, these supposed jokes often cause mental strain. They are made to feel: I know where you live. The Twitch streamer JadeyAnh became a victim of such a food raid in 2020 during her stream. She broke down in tears and had to abruptly end her stream (via Sportskeeda).
In this form, viewers rarely realize the problem: Twitch streamers usually avoid openly discussing the topic. The perpetrators should not be given attention, and potential imitators should not be encouraged.
The Twitch streamer Tanzverbot reported in November 2023 that he has experienced at least 50 swatting incidents. If he included food deliveries, he would be over 100 incidents. Once, his entire street was filled with delivery vans, the content creator reports.
In such cases, resolving the situation and getting rid of all suppliers can take up to an hour and a half. Communication with the drivers often becomes difficult as well.
But it’s not just the Twitch streamers who suffer: the affected restaurants also incur financial damage. After all, they invest time and ingredients in the orders and often end up covering the costs.
Using artificial intelligence, perpetrators can now generate hundreds or even thousands of fake orders. For operators, it is becoming increasingly difficult to cope with the flood of orders.
Why is nothing being done?
What role does Lieferando play? The organization TeamKompass e. V. is fighting against hate raids on Twitch. They raise awareness about the issues, advise those affected, and work with the police and other security authorities – because swatting and food raids are not minor offenses and can have serious consequences. Even the so-called doxing, which is the public dissemination of personal data with the intent to harm that person, is punishable by law.
In a report, TeamKompass states that the damage from fake orders through Lieferando is likely in the double-digit millions. The organization accuses the delivery service of not integrating sufficient security mechanisms into their ordering system.
Mass orders to a single address or spam orders to a restaurant should be flagged by the system. They demand that Lieferando take visible measures to curb food raids: for example, limiting how many email addresses can be registered per customer or address.
Affected individuals may have the option to fully block their address or reach agreements with restaurants that they will only be delivered under certain conditions, but it should not be the responsibility of the affected individuals to solve the problem.
We have requested a statement from Lieferando regarding the issue and will update the report as soon as we receive a response.
Unwanted deliveries affect not only Twitch streamers but can also cause problems for private individuals: “I shake when I see packages at my door” Woman receives more than 50 Amazon shipments that she did not order
