Walmart: ‘External bad actor’ created fake accounts to trigger racist email
An “external bad actor” is to blame for creating a series of fake accounts spawning email confirmations that contained a racial slur, Walmart announced Monday.
Several users on Twitter reported receiving emails containing racist language from the address help@walmart.com.
In a statement emailed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Walmart spokesperson Molly Blakeman said the retailer is reviewing its sign-up process for accounts to ensure similar incidents are avoided in the future.
“We discovered that an external bad actor created false Walmart accounts with obvious intent to offend our customers,” Blakeman said. “We were shocked and appalled to see these offensive and unacceptable emails.”
Walmart did not report how many people received the email.
“We discovered that an external bad actor created false Walmart accounts with obvious intent to offend our customers. We were shocked and appalled to see these offensive and unacceptable emails."
The world’s largest retailer also said it is “looking into all available means to hold those responsible accountable.”
About the Author
· Rich Barak works in the sports department as a leader/coach. In his career, Barak has covered everyone from Tommy Lasorda to Timothy Leary. He can be reached via email at Richard.Barak@ajc.com, on Twitter at @RBARACK or by calling 217-722-0184.
