WASHINGTON, DC - PBS officials say hackers have cracked the network's website. The hackers apparently posted a phony story claiming dead rapper Tupac Shakur was alive in New Zealand.

PBS confirmed early Monday morning on its official Twitter account that the website had been hacked. The phony story had been
taken down as of Monday morning. It had been posted on the site of
the "PBS Newshour" program.

PBS officials did not immediately respond to phone and email
messages.

A tweet from the "Newshour" Twitter account said: "If you missed it: our site has been accessed by hackers. Thanks for staying with us."

A group calling itself LulzSec claimed responsibility and posted
links to other hacks, including a video apparently taunting the
network. Taunting messages were also posted on the group's Twitter
page.

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.