Have you seen this coupon? (File under Fraud)

Its making its way around the blog-o-sphere. Do you honestly think that you would get an $8 coupon off diapers?

Mindi pointed out a few key factors in recognizing FAKES:

1. In most cases, any coupon emailed to you in .pdf form (where you need Acrobat Reader or a similar program in order to read it) is either counterfeit or a scanned copy of a “real coupon”. 
2. There are some legitimate .pdf coupons out there. They are few and far between and tend to be a nightmare. They are often created by companies that want to issue coupons, but don’t want to pay the fee to a site like Coupons.com to control the number of times the coupon can be printed. Then people print off 100 of them, they start to be redeemed WAY more than the company ever intended and then the company declares the coupon that THEY created to be fraudulent (when the reality is that the company was stupid in the way that they issued the coupon in the first place)
3. Coupons that are “too good to be true” generally are.  Call the manufacturer if you are in doubt. Much better to find out over the phone rather than look foolish in the store and then get arrested. Two years ago one guy who was producing and using fake coupons was fined thousands and sentenced to many years in jail, in NY. Woo fun. (I dont have the time to look for the post or the link, but you can google it)

Avoid Coupon Fraud

• The Coupon Information Center has not lost a case since they began in May of 1986.
• 3-5 years in prison is a common sentence for committing coupon fraud (longest sentence: 17 years)
• Fines are often in the excess for $200,000 (highest fine: $5 million)

What is coupon fraud:

1. Using a scanner, printer, or copier to make copies of coupons.
2. Using expired coupons, unless the store specifically states in their coupon policy that they do accept expired coupons.
3. Using coupons on products other than the product specified in the print (e.g. using a coupon for Original Cheerios on Honey Nut Cheerios).
4. Using a coupon for a product or size excluded by the fine print on the coupon (e.g. using a coupon that says “excludes trial size” on a trial size product).
5. Using the coupon when purchasing a different quantity than specified on the coupon (e.g. using a coupon for $0.50/2 on a single product instead of 2).
6. Altering and/or modifying a coupon in any way.
7. Using a coupon any way other than how it is specified on the coupon.

If you have any coupon fraud questions you can go to the CIC, Coupon Information Corporation and see fraudulent coupons and ask questions.