The Coupon Information Corporation

I just happened to be listening to my local station WBIG 1280 AM, today at noon. The show airing was called "Don't Fall For It" hosted by postal inspector Tom Brady. Today's show was about coupon fraud, which as it turns out is a big problem and big business. The guest of the show was from the The Coupon Information Corporation, a non-for-profit association that helps in exposing coupon fraud and even assists in prosecuting coupon fraud cases.

A couple of things mentioned in the show are:
1. Never purchase coupons through auction sites or any other site selling coupons. Coupons are put out by the manufacturers for Free and selling them is in violation of the manufacturers coupon policies. Also, the coupons being sold online could be counterfeit.
2. Coupons being offered to a consumer via email are not meant to be copied or posted for the masses. So if your getting let say Bath and Body Works emails and you get a coupon attached. You should not be sharing it with anyone else nor posting in on the web for all to use. Doing so means your committing coupon fraud.
3. Be very cautious of coupon generators found on "couponing group" sites. They maybe in violation of coupon policies by the original issuer.

To find out more please visit The Coupon Information Corporation. They have a great pdf file on Internet coupons.

I would hate for manufacturers and stores to stop issuing coupons as a result of couponer's abusing the system, whether they know their doing it or not. It's better to be an educated consumer and keep coupon use legitimate.