LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As the holiday season ramps up, Kroger is stepping up measures to combat gift card theft in its stores.

New anti-theft devices are being introduced to ensure customer confidence during this busy shopping period.

A major update in Kroger’s security protocol includes the installation of locking pegs for gift cards. These devices require shoppers to pull the card out through a slot, making it much harder for criminals to tamper with and return the cards to the shelves.

“Anti-theft's all good with me,” said shopper Mark Lea, reflecting the sentiment of many customers.

The move comes after a St. Matthews Kroger was targeted by an organized crime ring earlier this year. Criminals removed gift cards from racks, wrote down the card numbers, and later stole the funds once the cards were activated.

“It did (make me nervous) because I heard that it happened at our Kroger,” said shopper Traci Johnson. “At least they're vigilant about it and they caught them.”

Four suspects now face felony charges for their involvement in the scheme, which impacted several Kroger stores across Louisville. Shoppers at stores in Valley Station reported thefts, too.

In response, Kroger has rolled out these locking pegs across all 116 stores in its Louisville division, which includes Kentucky, southern Indiana and southern Illinois.

St. Matthews Police Chief Barry Wilkerson praised the initiative, and said it demonstrates Kroger’s commitment to addressing the issue.

“What they're trying to do is slow down the scammers where they can't put the gift cards back in bulk,” Wilkerson explained. “Instead of putting $8,000 (worth of compromised cards) on the shelves immediately, they're gonna have to work to get that in and is it worth the effort to do that to get minimum money?”

Kroger has also increased staff monitoring in the gift card aisles to deter potential thieves.

Despite the challenges, Kroger reassures shoppers that fraud incidents are rare, given the thousands of gift card transactions processed daily. For customers like Lea, the additional security measures provide peace of mind.

“Hey, it's all good. Do what you can. They need a security guy up here 24/7,” he said.

If a customer suspects any suspicious gift card activity, Kroger encourages them to contact Kroger Customer Assistance at (866) 544-8062 (select option 2 for gift card support) to open a case to research and to help with any questions or concerns.

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