Hoaxsters Get German Media to Report Fake Attack on US

A group of Internet-savvy hoaxers had all of Deutschland believing that a group of German rappers had attempted a suicide bombing in a California Thursday, Wired reports. The DPA—Germany’s version of the AP—ran a story with the headline “Attack in Small California Town,” reporting that the “Berlin Boys” rap group had attacked Bluewater, California. But the Berlin Boys don’t exist, and neither does Bluewater.

Both were concocted by German filmmakers, as a stunt to promote their upcoming short film Short Cut to Hollywood. They created websites for Bluewater, and for a bogus TV station. Then, posing as reporters from the fake station, they called newsrooms, frantically reporting the attack. The DPA realized their mistake a half-hour later, but by then the report was out, and unsuspecting California police were bombarded with calls. (More Germany stories.)