A Facebook page named ‘KFC Fans’ shared a post claiming that KFC is offering free coupons worth three chicken buckets as part of the 71st anniversary celebrations of KFC. This post states that KFC will send these coupons to the persons who share and type “Ready” below the post before 4 pm on 26 September 2022. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: As part of the 71st anniversary celebrations, KFC is offering free coupons worth of three buckets of chicken.
Fact: This promotional post shared by a KFC non-affiliated Facebook page is a fraudulent one. KFC is not offering any such coupons or vouchers as part of their anniversary celebrations. KFC through social media and their official websites warned people of the fraudulent promotional messages circulated in the name of KFC. Hence, the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When we searched to check whether KFC had recently announced any such free coupons as part of their anniversary celebrations, we could not find any such free coupon promotions on any of the official social media handles or the official website of KFC. A photo shared in the post shows a KFC restaurant in Russia’s St Petersburg and other images shared in the post are used as representative images of KFC.
On searching for further details using keywords, we found that similar promotional messages in the name of KFC are being widely shared in Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries. They can be seen here and here. KFC’s non-affiliated Facebook pages named ‘KFC Fans’ and ‘KFC Malaysia’ shared these messages asking social media users to reply ‘Love KFC’ in the comment section for getting the coupons.
KFC through their social media handles and their official website warned people to be wary of these non-affiliated promotions. Alerting people about similar promotional messages posted by a KFC non-affiliated page ‘KFC Malaysia’, KFC on their website stated, “We wish to alert our customers that there is a page, imposing as KFC Malaysia, promoting “contests” and chicken giveaways. This page is not associated with KFC Malaysia in any form. Customers are advised not to respond to the promotion and share any personal information to these sites”.
KFC busted a similar fake promotion offering three free meals as part of the KFC’s 68th anniversary celebrations in 2020.
While speaking about these purported KFC promotional messages, KFC authorities in Indonesia clarified to AFP fact-check that these promotional messages are fraudulent and are not issued by KFC. Also, the first Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise was started in 1952 near Salt Lake City in Utah. So, 2022 will make the company’s 70th anniversary, not its 71st anniversary as claimed in the post.
To sum it up, this purported KFC promotional message offering free coupons as part of its anniversary celebrations is fake.
