A couple weeks ago we discussed online sellers using Counterfeit Postage which is causing chaos for the United States Postal Service, but did you know counterfeit coupons are also plaguing the internet? 

Our company has been victims of websites posting totally bogus coupon codes to draw traffic to their websites.  For example, this website called DealsSpotr outright published fake promo codes, then claims our company is offering these deals:

As you will see from the image above, they even use our logo, without our permission.  What's even more deceiving is that DealsSpotr "claims" that our "deals" can be viewed on Amazon... but we do NOT sell on Amazon and we never have sold on Amazon.  However, todays blog post is not about sites that post bogus promo codes.  Instead we are talking about REAL, tangible, counterfeit coupons, like the kind you get in the mail or receive when you make a purchase at a store. Coupons like this:

Prior to reading  this crazy article in the newspaper, I had never heard of actual counterfeit coupons, but it turns out that printing completely fake coupons (then selling them) is such a large industry that a single promotion for a free bag of Doritos (fake) coupon that was circulating on the internet can generate 6 MILLION DOLLARS!  This coupon was redeemed at grocery stores so many times that Doritos corporate (Pepsi Co) had to stop reimbursing the grocery stores for uses of the fake coupon and offered a $2,500 reward to anyone who could expose who started circulating the bogus coupon.

The fake bag of Doritos coupon was only the tip of the coupon scam iceberg. The CIC estimates that counterfeit coupons cost businesses between $300 million and $600 million EVER YEAR in lost revenue.  You may argue that a company like Pepsi Co can easily afford to lose 10 million dollars in a year, however the problem for consumers is that this loss is passed down to the consumer via higher product prices.  This is the same issue with USPS postage rate increases due to Counterfeit Mailing Labels and Fake Stamps. 

In fact, this is such a large industry that several those "Extreme Couponers" that appeared on television have been busted printing their own coupons!  One of the most famous cases of counterfeit coupon fraud involved Lori Ann Talens and her husband who falsified over $1 million worth of saving from counterfeit coupons. They also found designs for coupons for more than 13,000 products on Lori Ann Talens’ computer.

Another coupon code fraud case involves Robin Ramirez, Amiko Fountain, and Marilyn Johnson who ran an organized criminal enterprise that sold counterfeit coupons via savvyshoppersite.com, eBay, and other Internet venues. They were arrested by the Phoenix Police Department, who executed search warrants and siezed four properties and 21 vehicles along with endless stacks of counterfeit coupons, coupon paper and printing machines. 

As you can see, this truly is a massive industry that not only swindles manufactures and grocery stores out of money and products, but it also scams innocent people who believe the coupons are legit and are just looking to save a buck or two.

9 WAYS TO SAFELY GET COUPONS, without being scammed!

1. If there are certain brands or companies you love and want coupons from, go to their website and join their mailing list.  If you provide them with your email address and mailing address you will likely get coupons via email and standard mail.  One of the tricks to getting email coupons is to make sure that after you sign up for the email list, login to your email and click the CONFIRM link in the automatically sent email.  Most email lists now require "confirmation", the purpose of this is to make sure you want the emails because it is illegal to send spam. 

2. You can also follow the company on social media.

3. Instead of purchasing physical coupons that may be counterfeit, you can use sites like RetailMeNot or my personal favorite, Mr.Rebates, to find coupon codes that you can use to make a purchase online.  If the coupon code works at checkout, it's real!  BTW- I am over $27,000 in Cash Back from Mr.Rebates!:

4. If the business is a store, like Walgreens, Target, etc, many of these stores have printed weekly ads that are available if you come into the store. TIP: Use the main door to enter.  Side doors typically do not have them. 

5. You can often simply call or email the company and most likely they will provide you with some form of coupon.  Some companies even offer to send a totally free product when people ask!  For real!

6. CHECK YOUR EMAILS, especially your receipt after purchase!  A lot of people do not open all of the emails they receive, let alone read the bottom or the back of a receipt.  It is common for a coupon to be somewhere, you just have to look!

7. When you place an order on an online website, chances are you will have some paperwork of some form inside the box.  This might range from a copy of your invoice/ receipt to ...COUPONS..., take the time to read it!

8. Instead of spending time digging for coupons, shop clearance sections instead! The amount of awesome stuff on clearance can be even better than trying to locate a coupon. 

9. If you do want to get discounts, you can often find them through your credit card company or bank account.  For example, Chase bank sends offers every couple weeks.  The savings are actually really awesome, like 8% cash back on GrubHub or a free 1 year membership to ShopRunner.  - Once again, the key is to simply read your emails.  :)  If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed with emails, because some companies like Yankee Candle send them literally DAILY, you can open the email, scroll down to the very bottom and click "Unsubscribe".  When you click "unsubscribe" you are usually sent to a web page that will allow you to adjust how frequently you receive the emails.  I prefer to have mine set for twice a month.