Nothing to like about a fake coupon

If the coupon sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t any good.

Coupons offering amazing deals at well-known stores are popping up periodically on Facebook. The logo looks real. And the deal looks even better.

Who wouldn’t look twice at the promise of a coupon offering 50 percent off everything at a favorite national store? Or $100 off $120 of groceries at a supermarket chain? Just click on the link.

But shoppers need to take time for a reality check on some of those supposed great deals, which are really just scammers trying to collect personal information.

A friend quickly realized she was headed for heartache when she spotted a post from one of her friends for a 50 percent off coupon at Kohl’s.

The coupon looked legitimate, she said. It stated something like, “Happy Thanksgiving from Kohl’s.”

Yet to get the supposed coupon, one had to click through a three-step process.

Step one: Share on Facebook. Step two: Like on Facebook. Step three: Gimme your credit card number.

Nah, just kidding. The third step tends to be a little less obvious but it is suspicious nonetheless.

Step three: Click here and take a survey to answer questions, including a section that will ask for your personal information so you can be sent the coupon.

Remember that even if you become suspicious, by the time you hit step three, you’ve already shared the link to your friends.

Supermarkets are caught up in this, too.

Publix warned its customers in Florida about a fake coupon with the Publix logo that offered $100 off grocery purchases of $120 or more.

Publix then warned its customers via Facebook that it had no such coupon and that a fraudulent one was circulating on social media.

In the past, Kroger has warned customers about an unauthorized $250 Kroger gift card giveaway circulating on Facebook. That giveaway offer had nothing to do with Kroger — just scammers trying another clever way to get people to hand over personal information.

“When we see scams like this, we let customers know that the offer is not affiliated with or supported by the Kroger Co.,” said Keith Dailey, director of media relations for Kroger.

The Coupon Information Center, an industry group in Naples, Fla., that fights coupon fraud, advises consumers to avoid downloading Internet coupons.

“If a friend emails you coupons, especially high-value or free product coupons, the coupons are most likely counterfeit,” a statement on the industry site reads.

The Coupon Information Center also researches fake coupons on Facebook and is asking consumers to supply information when they run across such coupons.

“Unfortunately, coupon fraud is a year-round business,” Miller said.

His top tip: Never pay money for a coupon. For example, eBay notes on its website that the site does not allow the sale of coupons, including coupon inserts found in newspapers and electronically scanned coupons.

Another idea: Go to a store’s website directly if you think there’s possibly a legitimate coupon out there. Plenty of real coupons exist in newspapers and on store websites.

This story was originally published December 15, 2015 at 3:49 PM with the headline "Nothing to like about a fake coupon."