A Georgia man is accused of using a fraudulent digital coupon as part of a retail scheme that police say caused more than $200,000 in losses at stores across the country.
Malcolm Griffin presented a coupon on his phone that was supposed to provide 75 cents off a Summer’s Eve feminine care product, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. When the barcode was scanned at a Kroger in Peachtree City, Georgia, the checkout system instead deducted $50. Investigators say Griffin used the unauthorized discount while purchasing Visa gift cards.
Peachtree City police say Griffin regularly targeted retailers around metro Atlanta. Homeland Security officials later contacted local investigators and said he was wanted in connection with similar incidents stretching from Oregon to Maryland, while other local and federal agencies also remained interested in the case.
Officers arrested Griffin at his Clayton County home and charged him with seven counts of forgery, one count involving computer crimes and five counts of identity fraud. Police also arrested Syan East, identified as his girlfriend at the time, after surveillance footage showed her at the store acting as his driver. Griffin remained in the Fayette County Jail when FOX 5 reported the arrest. The charges are accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Atlanta Police Had Been Looking for Griffin Since July
The Peachtree City case was not the first metro Atlanta investigation involving Griffin. On July 17, WSB-TV reported that Atlanta police had identified Griffin and Hakim Chambers during an organized retail theft investigation involving multiple Kroger locations.
Investigators said surveillance footage, store receipts and records from self checkout transactions helped identify the two men. Chambers had been charged with computer trespass by the time the report was published, while Griffin was still being sought.
That earlier investigation placed Griffin on police radar weeks before his later arrest in the Peachtree City case.
Counterfeit Coupons Can Pass Through Checkout Systems
The FBI has documented counterfeit coupon schemes in which barcode data was manipulated to produce discounts much larger than those authorized by manufacturers.
Fraudulent coupons can initially be accepted when the barcode scans correctly. Retailers may not discover the problem until the coupons are processed for reimbursement and manufacturers or clearinghouses reject them as counterfeit.
In a previous federal investigation, agents found counterfeit offers covering thousands of products, including coupons that reduced prices to nearly nothing. The FBI has also identified altered barcodes used to obtain lower prices as a technique associated with organized retail theft.
How Shoppers Can Avoid Counterfeit Coupon Schemes
The FBI recommends obtaining printable coupons directly from manufacturers or authorized distributors rather than relying on unofficial online forums, private groups or sellers. Consumers should also read the offer’s restrictions instead of assuming a coupon is legitimate simply because a barcode scans.
Offers worth nearly as much as, or more than, the normal retail price of a product deserve additional scrutiny. The FBI also advises against paying individuals for coupons or for access to groups promising unusually valuable discounts.
Anyone who receives a coupon that appears altered or counterfeit should avoid using it and can alert the retailer. Suspected coupon fraud can also be reported to the Coupon Information Corporation or the FBI.