Oct. 19 (Bloomberg) -- A purported terrorist threat against National Football League stadiums is false and the public should have no qualms about attending games this weekend, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said today.

``This is a hoax,'' the FBI said in a statement after questioning a person in Milwaukee.

The U.S. Homeland Security Department yesterday, citing an ``abundance of caution,'' warned the NFL about the threat, which claimed an al-Qaeda operative had smuggled deadly radioactive materials into the U.S. from Mexico.

The phony threat, posted on an English-language Web site, said truck bombs of radioactive materials would target stadiums in seven U.S. cities on Oct. 22: Atlanta, Cleveland, Houston, Miami, New York, Oakland and Seattle.

The Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks football teams all play at home that Sunday.

The NFL has said its stadiums are well protected. Milwaukee police spokeswoman Anne Schwartz said she couldn't comment on the FBI investigation.

To contact the reporter on this story: Todd Zeranski in New York at tzeranski@bloomberg.net; Robert Schmidt in Washington at rschmidt5@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: October 19, 2006 16:07 EDT