Nothing to 'like' about a fake 50% off coupon at Kohl's

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% off everything at a favorite national store. Or $100 off $120 of groceries at a supermarket chain. Just click on the link.

But this holiday season, 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 earlier this shopping season when she spotted a post from one of her friends for a 50% off coupon at Kohl's.

The coupon looked legitimate, she said. It stated something like "Happy Thanksgiving from Kohl's."

Yet to get that supposed coupon, you 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 a variety of 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 your 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.

"We recommend not engaging with the offer or providing any personal information. And we immediately contact Facebook (or the relevant social media site) in an attempt to have the fake offer removed from their website."

Social media sites have been inundated with coupon offers claiming you can obtain an extremely high value coupon at many locations, said Cindy Livesey, who has appeared as a coupon expert on the "Rachael Ray Show" and has a website called Living Rich With Coupons.

Livesey said the fake coupons have targeted customers of big chains, including Aldi, Kohl's, Target and ShopRite.

Even when people take that survey, she said, most consumers never get a shot at actually receiving any high-value coupon.

One offer for a local grocery chain promised a $100 coupon when you spend $75.

"That alone should put up some red flags as no store will give you more off than you actually spend," Livesey said.

She suggests taking time to do a Google search if something doesn't seem right. Many times, you could spot complaints online about the same fraudulent offer or a similar type of so-called deal.

Facebook said many times some of these coupon scams only occur for short periods of time because dedicated teams are working to block them.

"We've also obtained nearly $2 billion in legal judgments against spammers to keep them off our platform," said Melanie Ensign, a Facebook spokeswoman. She suggests that consumers can run the Security Checkup and Privacy Checkup on Facebook to protect their accounts and personal information.

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

"If a friend e-mails you coupons, especially high-value or free product coupons, the coupons are most likely counterfeit," according to the industry site.

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

Bud Miller, executive director of the center, said the scams using fake coupons on Facebook can use surveys to get personal information for ID theft. Or in some cases, malicious software can be downloaded onto your computer when you click on a link.

Miller said fraud on social media can range from fake coupons being posted and shared to people selling stolen or counterfeit coupons through closed groups or secret groups on Facebook.

Recently, some counterfeit coupons involved specific products, such as Coca-Cola soft drinks or Kellogg Eggos.

Decades ago, Detroit was once dubbed the "coupon fraud capital of the United States" by a U.S. Attorney after a major coupon fraud ring was cracked in 1992. The fraud then involved stolen newspaper coupons that were redeemed at hundreds of food stores.

"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 various types 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, especially during the holiday shopping season.

Contact Susan Tompor: 313-222-8876 or stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Tompor.