The 4chan pranksters are trying to trick social media users (and the media) into believing that it is a secret alt-right symbol, however — and some “disgusted” Twitter users have been urging their followers to immediately cease all use of the popular pound sign.

It all started with a post on the /pol/ (“politically incorrect”) message board, in which an anonymous user calls on fellow 4chan-ers to “start using # to represent the swastika on memes and social media.”

It will be “the perfect win-win situation,” the user writes, adding that Twitter (where the symbol is used most frequently) “will have to accept blatant nazism on its forum's [sic] or it will effectively have to find a way to get rid of the sites [sic] core mechanics.” Co-opting the hashtag could “f*ck up Twitter” and “force corporations to stop putting hashtags on every f*cking ad ever,” the nameless user continued.

The campaign was dubbed ‘Bash the Hash’ in a reference to the anti-fascist ‘Bash the Fash’ memes — and some social media users quickly bought into the whole thing, tweeting warnings that the inoffensive pound sign is a “hate symbol of the right,” proving how easily the public can be duped and manipulated.

Not everyone was fooled, however…