PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Police are investigating a hoax Amber Alert text message sent this week to cell phones across Rhode Island, asking people to help find a 7-year-old girl.
State police said the hoax may have originated on the MySpace social networking Web site. The text message said the child was kidnapped by a man driving a silver truck and included the license plate number.
State police administer the Amber Alert system, and officials said they didn't sent out the alert.
Amber Alerts, which are intended to help police quickly find abducted or missing children, are usually broadcast on television and radio stations, not cell phones.
State Police Capt. James Swanberg said investigators were reaching out to departments in western states, including Oregon, which saw nearly identical fake alerts.
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