Coupon fraud is serious. Serious enough for the FBI . . . and felony charges. Check out this recent notice from the Coupon Information Center about a coupon counterfeiter being arrested. From making fake bar codes to being behind bars, if convicted he faces possibly 30 years in jail, plus fines. AND last month, Portland News reported a woman arrested for using fraud coupons to rack up thousands of dollars of stolen products.
How can you protect yourself?
- Never, ever, make copies of coupons – It is never okay to make copies of coupons. This includes printable coupons. Every printable coupon (for example, from coupons.com) has a unique identifying code on it that can be tracked back to your ISP. Each coupon has a unique code that tells the cashier it was not copied.
- Be leery of PDF coupons – PDF coupons are still issued by retailers (they are rare), but if you receive a high-value PDF coupon, especially via e-mail, chances are it’s not legit. You can check the CIC website list of counterfeit coupons. A good way to tell, if it’s linked online, is to look at the URL source – if it’s from the company Website that’s a good sign.
- Use the coupon as intended – Read the print on the coupon. If it says it’s for an 24 oz bottle of shampoo, don’t try and use it on the 8 oz. Just because a coupon scans, DOES NOT mean that the store will be reimbursed for it.
Have you heard of the Coupon Information Corporation (CIC)? The CIC is a not-for-profit association of consumer product manufacturers dedicated to fighting coupon misredemption and fraud.
They have a great website with resources for manufacturers, retailers, consumers and law enforcement. One of the most useful areas of their CIC website is a list of counterfeit coupons. If you are ever unsure if a coupon is counterfeit, this is a great place to check.
A big part of the CIC is education – specifically educating consumers on the right way to coupon. They have been bombarded with a ton of emails due to the potential fraud on the Extreme Couponing show. I thought it was interesting that they recently issued a statement offering TLC support in making the show an educational show, which apparently TLC has turned down.
(Thanks, Bargain Buggy!)
Yvonne Bush says
I am a cashier and I hate it when customers have coupons for a different size or a different item and I tell them it is for some other size or a specific item and they say well it worked last time. I will not scan a coupon if it is not for what it was intended. Customers argue about these things and like you said you should only use a coupon for what it is intended for and dont give the cashier a bad time if she or he says you cannot use the coupon for a product it was not intended for. We are just doing our job and following store policy