Police swarm Playboy Mansion following 911 call as prank 'swatting' craze sweeps Hollywood

• Officers swarmed the Playboy Mansion in L.A. in response to a 911 call
• Hugh Hefner was thought to have become latest high-profile 'swatting' victim
  
• Prank sees callers report fake crimes at celebrities houses
  
• Movie legend Clint Eastwood also targeted by pranksters in recent days
  

By Kerry Mcdermott

Published: 11:02 EDT, 22 February 2013 | Updated: 11:32 EDT, 22 February 2013

Hugh Hefner became the latest high-profile victim of a 'swatting' prank after police swarmed the Playboy Mansion in response to a 911 call, only to find nothing amiss at the property.

LAPD officers rushed to the lavish mansion yesterday following a report of an assault inside the house, but found no evidence of a disturbance at the scene.

This week also saw movie legend Clint Eastwood added to the growing list of famous names targeted by the swatting craze, which has seen bogus callers reporting fake crimes at celebrities' homes in the hope that heavily-armed police officers will storm their properties.

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Prank: Police suspected Hugh Hefner had become the latest in a string of high-profile victims of prank 'swatting' calls

'Crank caller': The 86-year-old Playboy tycoon - seen with new wife Crystal Harris at their New Year's Eve wedding at the Playboy Mansion - tweeted about the prank

Simon Cowell, Chris Brown and the Kardashian family have also been targeted.

Magazine magnate Hefner, 86, said on Twitter yesterday: 'A crank call brought police to the Playboy Mansion this morning. Other celebs have been victims of recent hoaxes.'

Notorious: Hefner's palatial L.A. mansion has hosted numerous Playmates over the years

It is not known whether the octogenarian was at home when officers arrived.

An LAPD spokesman had said 'it could be one of those swatting calls' after the initial investigation at the property yesterday yielded no evidence of a crime, TMZ said.

Prank: Clint Eastwood is one of several celebrities to be targeted by 'swatting' calls

But officers have since identified the caller and are understood to believe they genuinely thought an assault had occurred. Police are still investigating.

Swatting was behind officers rushing to the home of Clint Eastwood this week in response to fake reports the property was being stormed by gunmen.

The prank caller told police people had been shot at the star's Los Angeles home, but officers found nothing wrong when they arrived.

It is not known whether Eastwood was in the property when police arrived.

More than a dozen celebrities have fallen victim to the prank, including Ashton Kutcher, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Simon Cowell, Tom Cruise, the Kardashians, and Chris Brown.

It is called 'swatting' because the heavily armed response officers are from the SWAT tactical teams.

Police have said they will prosecute anyone making the prank calls as they tie up valuable resources.

A 12-year-old boy was charged earlier this month in relation to fake emergency calls, including a false report of a gun battle underway at the home of actor Ashton Kutcher.

Police rushed to Kutcher's house in October last year after anonymous reports of intruders in possession of firearms and explosives, and of several people being shot.

The boy was charged with two felony counts of making false bomb threats and two of computer intrusion stemming from the incident, TMZ said.

 VIDEO  Police were called to the mansion early Thursday 

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