Retailers Beware! Counterfeit coupons could be robbing you of millions. If you haven’t read or heard about the recent arrest of 3 women in Phoenix, AZ, let me tell you. They are now being charged with illegal control of an enterprise, forgery, counterfeiting, fraudulent schemes and artifices and trafficking in stolen property.
Officials found them in possession of $25 million dollars in coupons. The women would sell the coupons online using the name and reputation of a trusted couponing company SavvyShopper (who is not affiliated with this crime). The buyers would receive coupons valued at 2 to 3 times what they paid for the coupon. The coupons were mainly manufacturer based and therefore manufacturers bared the loss from this scheme.
According to reports, the site could have easily raised red flags, the way it went about ‘teaching’ buyers how to apply the coupons. Giving suggestions such as using the coupons at smaller retail locations, and defending your coupon at the POS. Many cashiers honored the coupons due to the authentic feel and look of the coupons.
Catching coupon fraud in real time can mean the difference between losing millions and stopping loss at the source. With AdCheck from Agilence, we are able to identify the issues with promotion or coupon scan ability at the POS. We have been deploying the technology for years now, and have helped several of our customers determine issues with their coupon systems and even wording on promotions.
As for counterfeiting, we recently found an individual who was using false coupons to purchase free baby formula from one of our customers. This particular individual was using the same coupon at different locations throughout the chain, and just by running the coupon UPC we were able to identify, each time the individual used the coupon or a similar coupon to receive the item for free. Our expert analyst team takes time to double check all available manufacturing coupons listed as fraudulent to authenticate the transactions.
Once such a case is determined, our team will send out an alert and report the case to our client. Thus, providing our client the ability to educate and warn cashiers and store managers in real time. Once all this knowledge is provided, our customers have the know how, right now to make decisions.
To learn more about AdCheck: Contact Us Now or simply call 856.366.1200