Phoenix’s KTVK news has a photo slideshow from today’s counterfeit coupon bust in Phoenix. Some of them are incredible:
Counterfeit coupon operation busted in Phoenix
by Mike Gertzman
azfamily.com
PHOENIX — Authorities took three people into custody, raided three homes and seized valuable property on Tuesday as part of what police are calling a “first of its kind” case in the United States.
According to investigators, more than 40 of the Nation’s largest manufacturers have fallen victim to a new kind of coupon forgery and counterfeiting.
Approximately 4 years ago, extremely high quality copies of manufacturer’s coupons began to surface in the United States from an unknown source.
The companies that were targeted in this apparent scam, in conjunction with the Coupon Information Corporation (CIC) hired private investigators to find out where the coupons were being sold in the United States.
These investigators discovered most of the fake coupons were being used in Arizona. Investigators also found that the coupons were being sold through the website, Savvyshoppersite.com. The site was doing business as Savvy Shopper, but is in no way related to the local consumer magazine.
The Phoenix Police Department working in conjunction with the private sector, members of the FBI Internet crimes unit and internal resources, put a case together to prosecute the people behind this alleged fraudulent coupon site.
One of the houses that police raided today is at 36406 North 29th Avenue. Another house is located about one mile away at 35509 North 31st Drive. That is northeast of Interstate 17 and Carefree Highway.
Police seized boxes of coupons, vehicles, guns and other property.
Police say the scope of the investigation and the economic impact are massive with hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.
Photos used under Creative Commons license.
