Just kidding, General Electric — your $3.2 billion “refund” is still yours.

A pair of hoaxsters yesterday sent out a fake press release complete with a pirated GE logo and a link to a bogus GE Web site that claimed the company, which reportedly paid zero taxes in 2010, had decided to return a “$3.2 billion tax refund” in the face of public outcry.

The hoaxsters’ plan gained wide traction after it was picked up by The Associated Press, which distributed a news article on the fake event. About 35 minutes later, the AP realized the mistake and ordered it killed, giving the pranksters a second round of attention.

US Uncut, a group protesting corporate tax issues, and an outfit called Yes Men took credit for the stunt, according to Bloomberg News.