2011 Mexican drug gang attack Twitter hoax

On August 25, 2011 Gilberto Martinez Vera and Maria de Jesus Bravo Pagola made a series of fraudulent Twitter tweets alleging that an attack by drug gangs was in progress at an elementary school in Veracruz Mexico. The tweets caused mass panic that was compared to the War of the Worlds panic.^[1] The two were charged with terrorism and faced more than 30 years in jail.^[2] The charges were later dropped.^[3]

There were 26 car accidents as people left their cars in the middle of the streets, as they ran to pick up their children.^[2]