Texting Hoax May Scare Off Women Attending Twilight Parties

A text message circulating in 16 states warns that women are being killed by gangs outside Walmarts. Fortunately it’s a hoax, but it may ruin the Twilight DVD release parties planned at 2,400 stores.

The hoax appears to be based on an urban myth circulated by e-mail since 2005. Police departments around the country have been getting calls about the texts, which are tailored to each local area and claim gangs are killing women at Walmart as part of their initiation rites. The texts are making the rounds in at least 16 states, including Maryland, Delaware, Florida, North Carolina, Colorado, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Hawaii. It’s a particularly inopportune time for Walmart, since many stores are holding Twilight parties at midnight on Saturday, but it’s not clear if this is a coincidence or a coordinated effort to sabotage the event. [Advertising Age]