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November 22, 2004 07:08 AM

Costly Coupon Scams


Excerpt: Cents-off coupons are providing big bucks for scam artists who offer business opportunity and work-at-home schemes featuring coupon certificate booklets and coupon clipping services. Using the Internet to market these so-called opportunities, fraudulent promoters are promising entrepreneurs, charity groups and consumers earnings of "hundreds per week" and "thousands per month" simply by selling coupon certificate booklets or cutting coupons at home. The fact is that consumers and manufacturers are getting clipped in these costly—and deceptive—coupon capers.


Cents-off coupons are providing big bucks for scam artists who offer business opportunity and work-at-home schemes featuring coupon certificate booklets and coupon clipping services. Using the Internet to market these so-called opportunities, fraudulent promoters are promising entrepreneurs, charity groups and consumers earnings of "hundreds per week" and "thousands per month" simply by selling coupon certificate booklets or cutting coupons at home. The fact is that consumers and manufacturers are getting clipped in these costly—and deceptive—coupon capers.

There’s only one legitimate way to use a coupon: Cut it out of the newspaper or other source and use it toward the purchase of the designated product. A coupon is meant to be used only by the consumer who buys the product for which the coupon is printed. Selling or transferring coupons to a third party violates most manufacturers’ coupon redemption policies—and usually voids the coupon.

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Read all 32 posts in the same category of Anything Else:

‘Tis The Season For Wall Street Bonuses - Dec 17, 2004
Coping With Rising Rates - Dec 14, 2004
Financial Resolutions - Dec 11, 2004
IBM Cash Balance Plan Ending - Dec 09, 2004
John Snow Staying On At Treasury - Dec 09, 2004
Topping Off the Biggest Gas Tank - Dec 07, 2004
What To Do With A Dud Gift - Dec 07, 2004
Putting Your Financial House In Online Order - Dec 07, 2004
Social Security Reform: A Guide - Dec 06, 2004
The Disparate Consensus on Health Care for All - Dec 06, 2004
Giving Children Funds As Gifts - Dec 05, 2004
Bank Machine Dispenses Fake Money - Dec 02, 2004
Account Aggregation: All-In-One Convenience - Dec 01, 2004
A Life Fulfilled - Nov 30, 2004
A Seal Of Good Giving - Nov 28, 2004
More Are Saying It With Plastic: Gift Cards The Holiday Present Of Choice - Nov 26, 2004
Use Open Enrollment To Review Health-Insurance Plan - Nov 25, 2004
The Pitfalls of VOIP - Nov 23, 2004
Business Airfares, Down 11%, Might Be Lowest Ever - Nov 22, 2004
International Lottery Scams - Nov 22, 2004
Work-at-Home Schemes - Nov 22, 2004
Medical Billing Opportunities: Worth a Second Opinion - Nov 22, 2004
The Lowdown on Chain Letters - Nov 22, 2004
The Bottom Line About Multilevel Marketing Plans - Nov 22, 2004
Get-Rich-Quick & Self-Employment Schemes - Nov 22, 2004
Could 'Biz Opp' Offers Be Out For Your Coffers? - Nov 22, 2004
8 Lottery Winners Who Lost Their Millions - Nov 22, 2004
Ranks of U.S. Millionaires Surge - Nov 16, 2004
What Wal-Mart Knows About Customers' Habits - Nov 14, 2004
How Much Are You Really Worth? - Nov 06, 2004
What the Bush Victory Means for Consumers - Nov 03, 2004