Ever wonder if a printable coupon you run across is a Fake?? �Sometimes people will forward an awesome coupon to you via email and your first thought is “Awesome”! �But, most of the time, those coupons that are too good to be true are actually fake. So how do you know for sure?
The Coupon Information Corporation actually has a page dedicated to alerting you to Fake Coupons. �� And Fake coupons are added to that list all of the time.
If you didn’t know, creating counterfeit coupons is actually against the law. �And you can get jail time for it. �So, it is definitely something that the CIC takes seriously. �They even offer cash rewards for people who have information leading to the conviction of those creating the Counterfeit Coupons.
How Can You Tell on Your Own if a Coupon is Real or Fake?
1- If a coupon is sent in a PDF, (meaning you can print as many as you want) almost always means it is a fake coupon created by someone other than the actual company.� The actual company will either host the coupon on their website, fb page or through a coupon generator like Coupons.com. �If you are ever unsure if a .pdf is real, chances are it isn�t- unless you have seen me post it on the site.��I will only post .pdf coupons that come directly from the manufacturer!
2- If the coupon is an extremely high value coupon, and seems to good to be true, it probably is. Same goes for printable FREE coupons. Free Printable coupons aren�t always fake, but the majority of the time they are- which is why you will notice a lot of grocery stores do not accept them.
If you get away with using fake coupons, that hurts everyone in the long run.� Stores will not get reimbursed for the Fake Coupons.� So, they may decide to not accept ANY printable coupons in the future, or stop accepting coupons altogether. So, let�s spread the word about fake coupons and just use the ones that help us save money and make the stores money in return!
Karen
Good information. I have been a victim of fake coupons and it is embarassing.
Heather
I don’t usually print off coupons because I’m scared of this happening so I’m sure I miss out on a lot of great savings. Thanks for sharing this is great info.
Leesa
Wow great info! Thanks
Erica
I haven’t been victim of fake coupons, but I have faced increased scrutiny of my printed coupons from time to time. One store in town doesn’t like that I print them in black & white (I don’t like to waste the more expensive colored ink). It is frustrating, and it doesn’t help that a certain TV show essentially supports coupon fraud.
Heather
A few years ago I was using coupons I printed from the internet for $10 Gift Card from Target Pharmacy. I used one every time I filled a prescription, then found out after using quite a few that they were fake. I was SO embarrassed and felt really badly. I had no idea! Apparently Target had no idea for a long time either, because they were taking them without a problem.
Penny
Great info! Thanks!