TMZ tries cyberfear

Celebrity gossip site TMZ discovered the scary side of cyberspace a few weeks ago, running a frantic story about hackers blackmailing the United States into war.  

As the headline shrieked, 

HACKER GROUP THREATENS

TO BOMB WHITE HOUSE

(caps and font size in original)

The story starts from the classic trope of the scary hacker: clever, secretive, powerful.  Hence their ability to attack the Obama administration.

TMZ then takes things in an odd direction by linking this political threat to celebrities.  

We're told the group -- which claims responsibility for swatting Rihanna, Diddy, Ryan Seacrest, Justin Timberlake, Paris Hilton, Chris Brown, Tom Cruise and others -- contacted authorities through 911 and threatened to detonate 8 devices around the White House perimeter if President Obama does not declare war within 24 hours.

Yes, it's about "swatting", not geopolitics.  And lets gossip-drenched readers connect their celeb-stalking tales to the White House.  Interesting twist on cyberfear.

Naturally there's no retraction or sourcing of the claim.