VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Author's note: The video above is on file from a separate story that aired on May 26, 2022.
A Virginia Beach couple who was sentenced to prison last year for a multi-million dollar coupon scam that impacted multiple businesses will be featured in an ABC primetime series on August 25.
Lori Ann Talens was sentenced to 12 years in prison in September 2021 for using fake coupons to make money, according to previous coverage. Her husband, Pacifico Talens, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for his role in the scam in August 2021.
The incidents took place from April 2017 through May 2020. They began out of Lori's boredom of being on bed rest after having her third child. What started as free meals and discounted grocery items soon grew into a counterfeit ring of fraud involving multiple people, according to a news release.
Lawyers said that the businesses victimized suffered over $31 million in losses. It ended up being the largest coupon scam in U.S. history.
Lori used social media sites and apps to connect with coupon users to sell them counterfeit coupons she had made at home. People couldn't tell a difference between the virtual coupons compared to the authentic ones.
Her husband used the United States Postal Service, along with other commercial delivery services, to ship the coupons across the country.
You can watch and learn more about the case and their downfall on ABC's new series narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, "The Con," on August 25 at 10 p.m. It will also be available on Hulu starting August 26.