A photo posted on social media last week showing black smoke next to a bureaucratic-looking building caused a ripple in the stock market and was picked up by Russia's news media.
"Reports of an explosion near the Pentagon in Washington DC," was reported on Twitter by RT, a Russian government-backed news agency.
But the photo is fake, according to The Associated Press. There was neither a fire nor an explosion near the Pentagon.
RT took down the tweet, after verifying the news was false.
"As with fast-paced news verification, we made the public aware of reports circulating and once provenance and veracity were ascertained, we took appropriate steps to correct the reporting," RT told the AP.
Arlington County Fire Department officials took to Twitter to respond to the false claim.
"@PFPAOfficial and the ACFD are aware of a social media report circulating online about an explosion near the Pentagon. There is NO explosion or incident taking place at or near the Pentagon reservation, and there is no immediate danger or hazard to the public," the agency wrote.
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As for the stock market, the S & P 500 briefly dropped when the photo made the rounds on social media; prices for gold and U.S. Treasury bonds increased, which occurs when investors are looking for a safe place to put their money.
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