Meijer says $75 off coupon on web is fake

It's the old adage: If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.

And that bears repeating in the case of a coupon for Meijer that's circulating on the web.

It offers $75 off on a purchase of $100 or more at Meijer through Dec. 31, but it's totally fake.

The store posted about the phony coupon on its Facebook page.

The non-profit Coupon Information Corporation , a retail fraud awareness group, keeps a running database of known fraudulent coupons on its website.

The C.I.C says:

• Be suspicious of all coupons for free items
• Never buy coupons: many are fake
• Be wary of any coupon shared on Facebook

Consumer expert Clark Howard also says check the source to see if a coupon is real:

• Go to the company's website
• Search for reviews of the source
• If it's sent via email, its important to verify the source. Scammers can make fake emails look legit