Rome quashes SMS water scare

A false rumour that terrorists had contaminated Rome's water supply spread throughout the Italian capital on Wednesday, partly by telephone text message, prompting calls for calm from the mayor. Reuters reports.

"It was the latest scare to jolt the Italian capital, where polls show citizens are convinced it is a question of when - not if - Islamic militants will strike, just like they did in London on July 7.

Like other European capitals, Rome has also endured a wave of bomb scares in recent weeks, including at the international airport.

But the water scare was unusual, gaining momentum throughout the day with a circulating SMS telephone text message that warned people not to drink the water. Concern sparked a flood of calls to police and hospitals."

emily | 12:32 PM | Spam, Viruses and Hoaxes |
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