CINCINNATI: Kroger was the victim of a fraudulent press release stating that the grocery chain would accept the cryptocurrency Bitcoin Cash.
The fake announcement appeared on PR Newswire and then was uploaded by Kroger’s website before the chain removed it, according to The Verge. Kroger does not accept the cryptocurrency, although in November 2020, Kroger and the Bitcoin rewards site and browser extension Lolli announced a rewards program to earn Bitcoin for purchases, according to the tech media site.
“This morning a press release was fraudulently issued claiming to be The Kroger Co. that falsely stated the organization will begin to accept Bitcoin Cash,” Kroger told The Verge. “This communication was fraudulent and is unfounded and should be disregarded.”
Representatives from Kroger and Cision-owned PR Newswire did not respond to requests seeking comment from PRWeek.
In Q2, Kroger reported operating profit of $839 million, up 2.3% from last year, as it posted identical sales excluding fuel of $27.6 billion, down 0.55% from the year prior.
It's the second time in three months that a major retailer has been victimized by a fake press release about a fradulent crypto deal. In September, a statement appeared on GlobeNewswire, owned by Intrado, that said Walmart would accept Litecoin cryptocurrency.
