The AP's Twitter Account Has Been Hacked, The White House Did Not Blow Up

The giveaway: no AP style. The fake tweet comes just days after hackers targeted the 60 Minutes and 48 Hours accounts.

This tweet from the Associated Press caused some alarm Tuesday, just a week after the Boston Marathon bombings.

But right away, it was pretty clear the news was fake.

from here in the WH basement, this acct seems hacked RT @AP: Breaking: Two Explosions in the White House and Barack Obama is injured

from here in the WH basement, this acct seems hacked RT @AP: Breaking: Two Explosions in the White House and Barack Obama is injured-- E McMorris-Santoro

The @AP account was suspended within a few minutes.

And then this happened.

Here's the #Dow in the 3min following the erroneous @AP tweet re: White House explosions. http://t.co/OZRA6CyhO3

Here's the #Dow in the 3min following the erroneous @AP tweet re: White House explosions. http://t.co/OZRA6CyhO3-- Kayla Tausche

Other Associated Press accounts tried to do damage control...

That is a bogus @AP tweet.-- AP CorpComm

The (at)AP twitter account has been hacked. A tweet about an attack at the White House is false. We will advise on acct. status.

The (at)AP twitter account has been hacked. A tweet about an attack at the White House is false. We will advise on acct. status.-- AP Stylebook

But everyone made the same joke anyway.

Did you hack AP? AP would like to talk to you for a story.

Did you hack AP? AP would like to talk to you for a story.-- Andrew Kaczynski

have you hacked the AP twitter feed? AP would like to speak to you....

have you hacked the AP twitter feed? AP would like to speak to you....-- Tim Dickinson

Did you hack the Associated Press' Twitter account? @AP would like to speak with you for a story.

Did you hack the Associated Press' Twitter account? @AP would like to speak with you for a story.-- Jordan Fifer

Did you just hack @AP's Twitter account? The @AP would like to hear from you!

Did you just hack @AP's Twitter account? The @AP would like to hear from you!-- Brian Beutler

Do you know how to change your Twitter password? The @AP would like to speak with you for a story. Yeah, "a story," that's it.

Do you know how to change your Twitter password? The @AP would like to speak with you for a story. Yeah, "a story," that's it.-- delrayser

Did you hack AP? AP would like to talk to you for a story.

Did you hack AP? AP would like to talk to you for a story.-- Carly O'Shaughnessy

Has your twitter account been hacked? @AP would like to talk to you about making repetitive jokes.

Has your twitter account been hacked? @AP would like to talk to you about making repetitive jokes.-- Ross Neumann

(H/T to Dan Amira for some of the last few tweets.)

UPDATE: Could this be what led to the hacking?

The @AP hack came less than an hour after some of us received an impressively disguised phishing email.

The @AP hack came less than an hour after some of us received an impressively disguised phishing email.-- Mike Baker

UPDATE 2: The "Syrian Electronic Army" has taken credit for the hack.

Ops! @AP get owned by Syrian Electronic Army! #SEA #Syria #ByeByeObama http://t.co/HTKoO6gIL6

Ops! @AP get owned by Syrian Electronic Army! #SEA #Syria #ByeByeObama http://t.co/HTKoO6gIL6-- SyrianElectronicArmy

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