At 12:26p today, an alert was issued by the National Emergency Alert System and received on the mobile handsets of thousands of residents in New Jersey.

Those affected, mostly in Monmouth and Ocean Counties, New Jersey, received the message via their mobile handsets and were instructed to "seek shelter immediately" due to the "extreme threat to life". This alert was received by consumers across all major cellular carriers in the Monmouth County area.

While no actual emergency appears to have occurred  requiring residents to seek immediate shelter, residents of Monmouth and  Ocean counties were left panic-stricken and in a state of shock and  confusion.

It has been reported that the majority of those receiving the alert are either Android or iPhone consumers. At present, neither the New Jersey State Police nor Matawan Boro Police Department have any record of an emergency being reported, and are asking people to remain calm. Red Bank (NJ) Police Department have labeled the issue as "hoax/spam". In addition, New Jersey Homeland Security, via Twitter, have released information declaring that no actual emergency exists.

Those with information regarding the source of this alert are encouraged to contact the New Jersey State Police, New Jersey Homeland Security, or their local Police Department.