Individuals and organizations engaging in coupon related frauds often are involved in other types of criminal activities. Documented activities have included: Tax evasion Money laundering Drug dealing Food Stamp fraud Commercial credit fraud And other illegal activities Coupon misredemption and fraud increase costs for all consumers. Some con artists specifically target charities, the poor and [...]
CIC is a not-for-profit association comprised of consumer product manufacturers that account for the most of the coupons issued in the United States. Our Member list is here.
Each case is unique and defendants must be considered innocent until proven guilty. However ... Not one defendant has been acquitted in a CIC related coupon fraud case since operations began in 1986.
Penalties for those convicted of coupon fraud related crimes vary by each case and the number of laws violated. As of this date, Longest prison sentence: 17 years Highest financial penalty: $5 million Prison sentences of three to five years are not uncommon. Financial penalties generally vary, but have often been in excess of $200,000.
Do NOT confront the individuals involved in the scam. Keep all your records, including the envelopes of anything associated with the scam that was mailed to you. Contact the Coupon Information Corporation Communications will be kept confidential. or Contact one of the law enforcement agencies listed below: Federal Trade Commission: http://www.ftc.gov Federal Bureau of Investigation: http://www.fbi.gov Internal Revenue [...]
Coupon fraud occurs whenever someone intentionally uses a coupon for a product that he/she has NOT purchased or otherwise fails to satisfy the terms and conditions for redemption, when a retailer submits coupons for products they have not sold or that were not properly redeemed by a consumer in connection with a retail purchase; or [...]
The CIC was founded to encourage integrity in connection with the redemption of manufacturers' coupons and participation in other promotional programs. The Coupon Information Corporation encourages and supports federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts to identify, investigate, and prosecute coupon misredemption. Law enforcement officials wanting more information should contact the Coupon Information Center.
There are many organizations on the Internet and elsewhere engaged in the sale of coupon certificate booklets. Generally, these organizations are either trying to sell the certificate booklets themselves or they are offering "business opportunities" and soliciting others to act as distributors of the booklets. If you are approached by one of these groups, you [...]
Simply use the coupons you obtain from your newspaper, manufacturer’s web site or their authorized coupon distributor. Never pay money for a coupon Do not download coupons from Internet forums If a friend e-mails you coupons, especially high value or free product coupons, the coupons are most likely counterfeit. Most manufacturers follow common sense practices [...]
No, there are good reasons not to purchase coupons. In addition to being in violation of the manufacturers’ policies, it simply does not make sense to pay for something that is given away for free. Coupons being sold on the Internet or by other means may be stolen property or counterfeit. Individuals attempting to use [...]