As the largest supermarket chain in the U.S., Kroger stores see millions of customers on a regular basis. But if you regularly shop at this grocery store, there are a few things to be wary about. In October, Kroger had to pull trays of ground turkey due to plastic contamination, and just this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that a voluntary recall would affect seven different salads and wraps sold exclusively at Kroger. Now, the chain itself is sending out a warning, notifying shoppers that it will not allow one thing in its stores, despite rumors to the contrary. Read on to find out what Kroger says its customers are not allowed to do.
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Kroger said it is not allowing shoppers to use bitcoin cash at its stores.
iStockKroger Co. is now shutting down a rumor that recently circulated. According to Reuters, the grocer said on Nov. 5 that it would not be accepting bitcoin cash at its stores, despite the publication of a fake press release that claimed it would. Bitcoin cash is a form of cryptocurrency that was created in 2017 and derived from the original Bitcoin, according to Yahoo. But shoppers at Kroger won't be able to use it to buy their groceries.
"This communication was fraudulent and is unfounded and should be disregarded," a Kroger spokesperson confirmed to Reuters.
The fake press release was posted on Kroger's website.
ShutterstockThis wasn't just a rumor circulating small corners of the internet or through people's social media: The press release appeared on Kroger's investor relations page, but was later deleted, according to Reuters. Kroger told the news outlet that this page is automatically updated and receives a direct feed from PR Newswire (PRN), a press release distribution company which also showcased the fake press release.
The grocer is communicating with PRN on the issue. PRN has already pulled down the fraudulent release. The press release company told Bloomberg that it takes "the subject of misinformation seriously and have multiple security measures in place to authenticate information."
"We have withdrawn the fraudulent release and are urgently investigating the incident," PRN told the news outlet, adding that it is looking at "any criminal activity associated with this matter."
Other retailers have been the victim of fake press releases.
ShutterstockKroger is not the first retailer to be hit by this kind of stunt. In September, Walmart was the victim of a similar cryptocurrency hoax, CNBC reported. A fake press release was sent out by GlobeNewswire, a global press release distribution service, on Sept. 13, claiming that Walmart was partnering with litecoin, an alternative form of cryptocurrency. Shoppers were told by the fake release that they would be able to use litecoin in Walmart stores due to the "partnership."
"Walmart had no knowledge of the press release issued by GlobeNewswire and there is no truth to it. Walmart has no relationship with litecoin," a Walmart spokesperson told Reuters at the time. GlobeNewswire told CNBC that a fraudulent user account was used to issue the release, and that the company had "put in place enhanced authentication steps to prevent this isolated incident from occurring in the future."
But some major companies are accepting cryptocurrency.
24K-Production / ShutterstockDespite Walmart and Kroger denying that they will be accepting cryptocurrency, some retailers are embracing alternate forms of payment. In fact, many major businesses allow consumers to pay with cryptocurrency, from tech companies to food corporations, according to Cryptonews. If you're looking to pay service providers, both AT&T and DishNetwork accept crypto payments. And in terms of food, Subway has had locations that accept bitcoin as early as 2013, while KFC released a bucket that you can only pay for with bitcoin.
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