PBS Hacked, Claims 'Tupac Alive' In New Zealand

A report is spreading quickly on Facebook and Twitter that famed rapper Tupac Shakur is shockingly "alive and well" in New Zealand, 15 years after he died.

This is of course false. Tupac died in Las Vegas in 1996. But the link that is circulating, a PBS Web story, looks entirely legitimate, fueling the rumor.

PBS has been hacked. (Scroll down for screenshot.)

PBS NewsHour online engagement staffer Teresa Gorman has spent much of her holiday Sunday night replying to folks on Twitter, telling them the report is false and PBS has been hacked.

The Lulz Boat has claimed responsibility. Not only has it posted the "Tupac Alive" Web update to the PBS site, but on Twitter it posted information for staffers, the PBS network, and password info for PBS stations.

According to Secure Business Intelligence, LulzSec has attacked several high-profile organizations in the last month, although it is known to hack for "entertainment and infamy," rather than financial gain.

The report on PBS NewsHour "The Rundown" carries the headline "Tupac still alive in New Zealand" with a timestamp of May 29, 2011 at 11:30 PM EDT. It includes a picture of Tupac and as of 1 a.m. Monday morning, it was still live on the PBS site.

The fake story reads:

Prominent rapper Tupac has been found alive and well in a small resort in New Zealand, locals report. The small town - unnamed due to security risks - allegedly housed Tupac and Biggie Smalls (another rapper) for several years. One local, David File, recently passed away, leaving evidence and reports of Tupac's visit in a diary, which he requested be shipped to his family in the United States.
"We were amazed to see what David left behind," said one of sisters, Jasmine, aged 31. "We thought it best to let the world know as we feel this doesn't deserve to be kept secret."

UPDATE: As of 2 a.m. Eastern Time, the link for the fake story now results in a "404" error message. The original version of that page can be found here.

UPDATE (2): Boing Boing reports that a Frontline Wikileaks episode angered LulzSec, the entity behind tonight's hack.

Comments

[B Rowshan]

01:53 AM on 06/03/2011

2pac was the best.

its his birthday in 2 weeks. we love you 2pac.

http://tenmillionslaves.wordpress.com/2011/04/30/top-5-rappers-of-all-time-why/

he is the greatest of all time and a poet not unlike Shakespeare

http://tenmillionslaves.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/the-rose-from-the-concrete-the-voice-of-a-generation/

[DruDeadly]

09:29 PM on 06/02/2011

Now I know why I had such an urge to listen to him music! :-)

[JAYBEATSZ]

07:47 PM on 06/02/2011

IF HE'S ALIVE MY GRANDMOM STILL ALIVE RIGHTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT LOL

[highking1979]

04:33 PM on 06/02/2011

Tupac is alive, he is President Obama's campaign manager.

[JAYBEATSZ]

07:55 PM on 06/02/2011

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

[DruDeadly]

09:31 PM on 06/02/2011

"The Blob" was Bush's!

[Christyann Bernethy]

07:59 PM on 06/01/2011

Well it would explain how he came out with like four albums after he died.

[one1byke]

04:22 PM on 06/01/2011

The very worst in Professional Journalism.

[caliber44c]

04:19 PM on 06/01/2011

Why aren't these "hackers" being sought with the same fervor as Osama bin Ladin ?? They cause as much trouble and hurt, and pain, but not through terrorist means, but through thier acts of hacking sites to cause trouble !! Any, and All hackers should be treated as terrorist, and jailed for an insane amount of time... Maybe that will give us a very small amount of peace, and lessen the need for ultra security in business..... The act of hacking should be made a FEDERAL CRIME AGAINST ALL !!!! HACKING IS A WASTE OF TALENT, AND TIME, AND MONEY, AND COSTS THE PUBLIC WAY TO MUCH IN PASSED ON COSTS TO PREVENT FUTURE HACKS !! I SAY KILL ALL HACKERS !!! AND TUPAC IS DEAD, AND NOT COMING BACK, SO PLEASE LEAVE HIM ALONE AND LET HIM REST IN PEACE !!!

[harriettubman]

12:34 AM on 06/01/2011

I find these stories offensive to Tupac's mother. She did an interview and said her baby is deceased. She waited months, due to fanatics who want to keep him alive, to bury him on the grounds where she now lives.

If you're truly a fan you wouldn't offend Elvis, Michael Jackson, Tupac or any other deceased celebrity's family by saying they're still alive. That is nothing but pain for them all over again!!!

[bobpersiansmith]

09:23 PM on 05/31/2011

2pac is alive though, he is always in our hearts...

http://tenmillionslaves.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/deepest-thoughts-feelings-part-1-of-3/

and this is what nas thought of 2pac and biggie

http://tenmillionslaves.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/we-will-survive/

R.I.P 2pac Shakur, and if youre alive, come on we need a new album

[grailknight]

06:08 PM on 05/31/2011

Anyone seen Jim Morrison lately?

[Myriah007]

06:33 PM on 05/31/2011

what about biggie?

[grailknight]

06:39 PM on 05/31/2011

In a candle lit bathroom, look in the mirror and chant thre times "Biggie Smalls."
http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s10e11-hell-on-earth-2006

[Jason Bullock]

12:07 AM on 06/01/2011

No way anyone could miss seeing Biggie.

[harriettubman]

12:35 AM on 06/01/2011

He was disinterred and relocated. Fools tried to dig him up! That's not a fan.

[Jamf]

05:33 PM on 05/31/2011

Yup, it's true. Tupac and Elvis set up a cocktail bar / donut shop / bowling alley in downtown Wellington. You didn't get the memo?

[SimianNation]

05:21 PM on 05/31/2011

"All around the world it's the same old song..."

[bradenton]

10:42 AM on 05/31/2011

He was with Palin on the motorcycle.

[WarrenPease]

09:37 AM on 05/31/2011

Tupac is hanging out with Elvis and Jim Morrison. They are recording the weirdest album ever.

[JAYBEATSZ]

07:46 PM on 06/02/2011

LOLOLOLOLOL WORDD

[CAMBEL]

09:15 AM on 05/31/2011

He was probably hiding out because he was embarassed about being in the movie "Poetic Justice"/