[link to nyhousewives.blogspot.com]

I guess it really is true that you can learn something new everyday.
There's a new reality show on TLC called, "Extreme Coupon"- (or something like that.)
Its about those people who go the grocery store with coupons instead-of money and ring-up cart-loads of crap for next to nothing.
One of the "stars" of this show, is well-known in the couponing community as a scammer who practices what is called, "un-ethical" couponing. When coupon-lovers saw this woman on television, they went-OFF and then did some fancy-schmancy freeze-frame investigative type investigation.
If you follow my link above, you can see how the, (alledged), scam is done. What they do is take advantage of a computer barcode glitch and use coupons intended for a specific product, on any other product as long as it is produced by the same manufacturer.
For example, a ten-dollar coupon for Crest White-Strips, could be used on a travel-sized tube of toothpaste, resulting in a $9.00 credit.
I really don't know myself if this is ethical or not, since apparently cash-registers do accept these coupons in many cases, but if the face of the coupon says that you need to buy such & such an item to be eligible-I would think that would be it?
Following the links in this story led me into loads of interesting comments and info. about coupon-fraud.
The woman in question is being chastiested pretty soundly online and she has had to take-down her Facebook & other items for damage-control more than once.
TLC has made a half-hearted response, ("we're looking into it"). TLC received a nice surprize in the cable ratings for this new show, so I think they are taking this pretty seriously.