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QUINCY, ILL. -- If you like to save money, you might want to listen.  Since the economy has been down, coupon use has gone up.  This has led to some people making fake coupons.

You might think it would be a hassle to cut coupons. But through the internet they have become easier to find... and easier to remake. You might even have one of these fake coupons in your wallet right now.

"They get it on an email, they pick it up off of a website or chat room. They print it off at home and they bring it into the store. They are not intending to pass a fraudulent coupon they just don't know that it's fraudulent," said LeAnn Moyers.

Here are some things you need to pay attention to. Expiration date: People who are making their own coupons often change the expiration date on previously good coupons. Look for long, unusual, or no expiration date. Bar codes: Coupons have two bar codes, one of them is a code for the product, the other is a code for the actual coupon. Most of the time fake coupons will only have one. Where the coupon is coming from: Coupons are available online, but only from certain companies.

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"The things that people really want the discounts on are produce and your meat and then they are also looking for soda and chip coupons. And the real easy way to tell if a coupon is fraudulent online, whether it's a Frito Lay product, Pepsi or Coca Cola, those companies do not print internet coupons," Moyers says.

Manufacturers rarely offer coupons for free items. If they do offer them, you'll likely find them in the Sunday newspaper, NOT online. When printing a legitimate coupon from a manufacturer's site, it will print only on one side. You also should use common sense. Misspelled words or a high money discount are red flags...and those coupons should not be used.

For more information on how to spot a fake coupon you can visit County Market's coupon blog at http://countymarketcouponnews.blogspot.com/.