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You’ve read about the risks of coupon campaigns and you expect a small level of consumer misredemption. But what about malredemption? Is it the same thing?

Although it sounds similar, it’s not.

While misredemption is not currently illegal, malredemption is because it is fraud, pure and simple. A retailer usually perpetrates malredemption. For example, they may cut out a large volume of high value coupons from unsold newspapers and to claim the face value and trade-handling allowance.

Sometimes we even catch consumers posing as retailers to try and redeem a stack of coupons with us.

But you don’t have to worry

Valassis is very good at rooting out instances of malredemption using a two-stage process:

1. Every retailer who approaches us for an account is checked thoroughly to ensure they are genuine. They have to provide a certain level of information, including company registration number, VAT number, contact details and bank account details. All of this is then checked thoroughly and sometimes they even get a visit. That’s usually enough to put off any fraudster hoping to pose as a retailer because they will be exposed if they continue.

2. Careful checking of retailer accounts for unusual activity. If a retailer goes from redeeming a few coupons every now and then to the wholesale redemption of a large amount, red flags start waving in our minds. We know the average rates of redemption of each retailer and can quickly spot something abnormal. Once we have confirmed that the retailer is behaving out of character, their account is blocked and we launch an investigation.

There is no type of malredemption we haven’t experienced in our 40 years, and our processes as a result are thorough and effective. We’re more than a match for anyone trying to defraud you.