Kroger says press release announcing acceptance of bitcoin cash is fake

[November 05, 2021]   (Reuters) - Kroger Co said on Friday a press release saying it would accept "bitcoin cash" this holiday season is fraudulent, becoming the second major retailer in recent weeks to be ensnared in a crypto hoax.

The release appeared on Kroger's investor relations page, and was later deleted.

"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. This communication was fraudulent and is unfounded and should be disregarded," a spokesperson for the company said in an emailed statement.

The company did not immediately respond to questions on how the release made it to its website.

The release also appeared on PR Newswire, which later issued an advisory to disregard the announcement.

Bitcoin prices turned slightly negative after Kroger said the release was fake.

Bitcoin Cash is a fork of bitcoin's underlying software code formed in 2017, and was an initiative headed by a small group of mostly China-based bitcoin miners. (https://reut.rs/3bL8MNO)

Walmart Inc was subject to a cryptocurrency hoax in September when a fake press release was published announcing a partnership between the world's largest retailer and litecoin. The news had briefly sent prices of the little known cryptocurrency surging.

(Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Bernard Orr)

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