Samsung Calls $650M Fingerprint Cards Acquisition Report “False” [Updated]

A press release announcing that Samsung had acquired a Swedish fingerprint biometrics company was distributed on Business Wire and elsewhere earlier this morning. Samsung has since confirmed that the release was false and that it is not acquiring Fingerprint Cards. Fingerprint Cards has also since issued a denial of the report.   

Despite the acquisition having been denied by both companies, at the time of writing Business Wire is still carrying the bogus release.  

Update 5: Multiple attempts to contact Cision by telephone to ascertain how the false press release was distributed have not been successful — the number for its Swedish customer operative, Helén Rigamonti, is ringing out. However Business Insider managed to speak to her earlier, and was told it is investigating what happened.

“We are looking into our procedures, but we followed all of our security procedures and we can’t exactly tell you what happened…