Maccas in damage control over Seriously McDonald's picture hoax

• Fast food giant on the warpath over picture hoax
• Sign claimed African-Americans charged $1.50 extra
• Image top trending on Twitter, but may be years old

THIS picture is a hoax. McDonald's isn't charging African Americans an extra $1.50 "as an insurance measure due in part to a recent string of robberies".

But the image is all the rage on Twitter and has forced McDonald's to go into damage control to protect its online reputation.
The picture, which has since been removed from Twitter, displayed the offensive sign taped to a window outside what appeared to be a McDonald's restaurant.
The sign included an 800-number that connected callers to the customer satisfaction hotline of rival KFC, which is owned by Yum! Brands.
People tweeted and retweeted the photo, using the words "Seriously McDonalds" to express their disappointment with the fast-food chain.
On its official Twitter account, McDonald's said: "That pic is a senseless & ignorant hoax McD's values ALL our customers. Diversity runs deep in our culture on both sides of the counter."

Despite the official denials, the hoax gained momentum over the weekend as #SeriouslyMcDonalds ranked on Twitter's Trends list.
"It's a completely senseless, ignorant hoax by some pranksters," McDonald's spokeswoman Heidi Barker said.
Ms Barker added that she had "no idea" who carried out the hoax.
Some have claimed that the picture is an old meme that began recirculating a few days ago.