The Prank That Possibly Had the Anti-Gay Westboro Baptist Church's Phones Ringing Off the Hook

Westboro Baptist Church, the anti-gay group known for its fiery protests and virulent proclamations, was recently at the center of a holiday prank.

It all began last week when the National Report, a satire website, published a story warning about a turkey recall over fears that poultry was infected with avian flu, the Huffington Post reported.

After cautioning that the virus could "move from bird hosts into humans," the faux story said that millions of Americans could be infected if they did not properly handle their Thanksgiving Day turkeys.

A Westboro Baptist Church protest (NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

Now, here's where Westboro Baptist Church comes into the story. The article told worried readers to contact a "Turkey Safety Hotline" to see if the turkeys they purchased were being recalled.

But rather than putting a faux phone number in the story, the National Report included the contact for Westboro's Topeka, Kansas, headquarters.

"Individuals that have purchased a turkey from any manufacturer are encouraged to call the Turkey Safety Hotline that has been established in collaboration with the CDC and several major turkey suppliers," the story read. "The hotline is available 24 hours a day."

It's unclear how many phone calls from concerned readers Westboro received, though the group has been tweeting about the hoax over the past few days.

We'll leave you with some of the group's tweets responding to the National Report story below: