Coupons are a prevalent way to save money while shopping offline or online. Unfortunately, scammers use this practice to seek undue advantage, leading to the rise of coupon frauds.
The general consumer behavior of looking for coupons or deals motivates the manufacturers or retailers to distribute them. But how can you save yourself from falling prey and getting scammed by unscrupulous people?
The Initiation
There are several ways in which coupon fraud can happen. Scammers invent new ways to conduct fraud once a particular means is under surveillance. Therefore, it is essential for you as a consumer to be vigilant and avoid coupon scams. During the early days of coupons, most frauds took place by photocopying the paper coupons. These copies got used for multiple occasions instead of a single-use.
The movement of the coupons towards the digital environment has led to the invention of various new tactics by scammers to con the victims. Coupon frauds are increasing by approximately 10% yearly. The numbers show that frauds in the market have not decreased much after the shift from paper to digital.
Is There an Issue With the Source?
We often feel that there is an issue with the coupon source. However, it is not the retailers or the manufacturers but the consumers who create a problem with the coupons. Coupons are a promotional tool for brands or organizations to make people aware of their products and services.
A company wants its target audience to utilize the coupons and avail of its products or services. Therefore, there are always stringent policies to monitor fair coupon use at the retailer or manufacturers’ end.
Spotting the Fake
There is a global outcry for coupons to save a few bucks while purchasing a service or product. If you closely observe the deals by most brands, you will find that every one of them offers some form of discount via promotional coupons. Many brands have been a victim of coupon frauds in the past.
With this rising number of fraudulent coupons circulating on the internet, what can you do to spot a fake one?
Too Good a Proposition
If you see an offer too good to be true, it probably is fake. A store seldom offers a huge discount on a product. Therefore, if you find a retailer offering more than a 50% discount, you can be careful while opting for it.
Coupons in Lieu of Money
Coupons are a way to attract customers. A retailer or manufacturer creates them with an idea to promote their products and services. Hence, it is unlikely for the retailer to charge for the coupons. If you see such an act underway, you should consider it fraud.
The Free Trap
Who doesn’t like getting anything for free? In this era, BOGO or buy one get one offer is the most sought-after offer in retail. Scammers use it to showcase a product offer that has no existence in reality. In most cases, a scamming site will direct you to a different page and seek your personal details to redeem the offer.
These scammers exploit such information later as per their requirements, and the victims can face numerous issues.
Connections to the Brand
Since coupons are a promotional tool used by the brands, they link to the company’s website. You can check the legitimacy of a coupon by looking for such information with the details relating to its registered address. If it is lacking, then the chances of coupons being fake is high.
Validity Period
Coupons are part of a promotional campaign run by a retailer or manufacturer for a stipulated period. This aspect ensures that each coupon has an expiry date. Once this date passes, it is common for the brands to dishonor such coupons. Fake coupons often miss this factor, and you can sense them to be fraudulent if you see such information is missing.
Quick Deals
Deals generally are on offer for the short term to suggest a sense of urgency. It creates an attraction for the deals which people can seldom resist. Scammers use this habit of the customers to showcase coupons with an ultra-short redemption time. By design, such an offer is a trap set for the customers to get scammed.
Therefore, it is ideal for you to be vigilant while opting for a coupon. If there is any coupon that offers extraordinary benefits, there is a high chance they are fake. So, check the details properly before shortlisting a coupon to redeem.
