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Have you thought about car wrap advertising? Let me talk to you first about the car wrap scam, including ACTUAL emails (yes, they tried to get us!).
Let me introduce you to an internet car scam in the hopes that you will not fall for it.
I specifically want to go over this one because I have mentioned before that you can make money by having your vehicle wrapped in an advertisement.
In fact, my husband and I signed ourselves onto a legitimate vehicle wrapping company several years ago in the hopes that they would choose us.
It turned out to be a complete car advertising scam, and I played along until the end so that I could show you what this looks like.
Our Car Wrap Scam Experience
Which is probably why the initial email I received from the scammer did not raise alarms for me:
From: harriettk@hotmail.com, 10/24/13: "would you like to earn $300.00 weekly for wrapping your vehicle in an Ad?"
Even though the email looked rather informal, I replied, “Yes”, thinking that this was someone working for the vehicle wrap company which I had signed up for.
On 10/25/2013, I received the following reply from Harry Peterson, dcspatterson@hotmail.com (I realize this is a lot of copying and pasting to read through; however, I believe this will help others who are searching online to determine whether or not the email they have received is a scam; also, I included grammatical and spelling errors from them):
"Wrap advertising is the marketing practice of completely or partially covering (wrapping) a vehicle in an advertisement or livery, thus turning it into a mobile billboard. This can be achieved by simply painting the vehicle surface, but it is becoming more common today to use large vinyl sheets as decals. These can be removed with relative ease, making it much less expensive to change from one advertisement to another. Vehicles with large, flat surfaces, such as buses and light-rail carriages, are fairly easy to work with, though smaller vehicles with curved surfaces can also be wrapped in this manner. Wrap advertising is available to anybody irrespective of the vehicle you drive.
We are currently seeking to employ individuals world wide as we look to expand our market thus, introducing ( Kronik Energy Drink) to every nooks and crannies especially in the USA. How would you like to make money by simply driving your vehicle or banner wrapped for Kronik Energy Drink®
How it works?
Here's the basic premise of the "paid to drive" concept: Kronik Energy Drink® seeks people -- regular citizens, professional drivers to go about their normal routine as they usually do - 'which means there are no OBLIGATIONS whatsoever as to how many miles you have to cover' only with a big advert for " Kronik Energy Drink®" plastered on your vehicle. The ads are typically vinyl decals, also known as "auto wraps,"that almost seem to be painted on the vehicle, and which will cover any portion of your vehicle's exterior surface.Don't Have a vehicle?
If you don't have a vehicle, you can also participate if you have a bike or scooter.What does the company get out of this type of ad strategy?
Lots of exposure and awareness. The auto wraps tend to be colorful, eye-catching and attract lots of attention. Plus, it's a form of advertising with a captive audience,meaning people who are stuck in traffic can't avoid seeing the wrapped vehicle alongside them. This program will last for 3 months and the minimum you can participate is a month.What is the Contract Duration?
Once the wrap has been installed, minimum term is 4 weeks and maximum is 12 weeks.Would the wrap/decal damage the paint of my vehicle?
The decal doesn't damage the paint of the vehicle and will be removed by our representative once the contract expires. We will be responsible for installation and removal of the wrap.You will be compensated with $300.00 per week which is essentially a "rental"payment for letting our company use the exterior space(excludes your windows and windscreens) on your vehicle and no fee is required from you. Kronik Energy Drink® shall provide experts that would handle the advert placing on your vehicle and also the removal. You will receive an upfront payment of $300.00 check via courier service for accepting to carry this advert on your vehicle…
Best Regards,
Harry Petterson
Hiring Manager
Kronik Energy Drink®Ph:+1 702-605-3372
Fax: +1 702-537-5695"
At this point, I did not pick up on the fact that Harry Peterson had signed his email with two “t’s” in his name. But I did smell a rat. In the email response I received on 10/26/2013, I knew something was wrong for sure:
"1) The first payment will come as a check in the mail.It will include both the installation and removal fee and also the $300.00 accrued to you. You are to cash the check payment as soon as you receive it for the decal wrapping of your vehicle and also deduct $300.00 accrued to you as your up-front payment. However, the rest of the funds would be paid to the Graphic artist that will install the decal on your vehicle. Method of payment will be related to you as soon as you receive the check payment. Nevertheless, it is paramount for you to confirm the acceptance and understanding of this email. Please note that the graphic artist payment covers the installation and removal of the wrap on your vehicle. The installation and removal will be done at your address and it will only take up to 2-3hrs. Subsequent payment of $300.00 accrued to you will come in the mail every Tuesday of the week."
I mean, why would I have to pay the graphics person and not them? A quick internet search resulted in finding the following forum where this very scam was unraveled.
Pssst: You'll also want to learn how to identify a craiglist scammer, as car wrap scams occur on that site.
How Car Wrap Advertising Scams Work
Basically, the check I was to receive in the mail (and actually did, to the tune of $2,450) came with instructions to cash it.
I was to take out $300 for myself, and then wire the remaining $2,150 to a specific address and person who would then design the vinyl advertising wrap for my car.
This kind of scam happens for all sorts of vehicle scams.
Some current ones (car wrap scams 2022) reported to me by people like YOU include:
- Cadbury USA Car Sticker scam: The scammers have said "Cadbury will pay you $400 weekly" for putting a Cadbury chocolate sticker on your car.
- AutoZone decal scam
- Oral B advertising campaign scam
- Verve energy drink car wrap scam
- Aspire energy drink car wrap advertising scam
- Ben & Jerry's car wrap scam
In fact, that is what Harry asked me to do on 12/5/2013:
"Report has it that the check payment for the decal wrapping of your vehicle will be delivered to your address via USPS today. Kindly confirm via usps.com with the tracking number 9470101699320004911554. kindly proceed to deposit the check into your bank account as soon as you receive it today and funds will be available for withdrawal 24hrs after the check has been deposited. I will be waiting for a confirmation message immediately the check is deposited. As soon as the cash is cleared you are to deduct $300.00 which is accrued to you and forward the balance to the graphic artist that will be wrapping the decal on your vehicle via WESTERN UNION transfer. The same graphic artist will also be responsible for removing the decal when the program is completed."
The person I was to send it to was Brigido B Bellhouse, Laverne CA, 91750.
Checks take several days to clear a bank, and the scammers frantically attempted to contact me after the check was sent to my house to ensure that I would wire this money. If I had not already known it was a scam, then I would have been out to the tune of $2,150.
When I asked Harry Petterson why I would have to pay the graphics person, he responded:
“Payments are issued to our respective applicants through our corporate sponsor. However the payment covers both the installation fee, removal fee and the weekly $300.00 accrued to you.”
Right.
Psst: do you have Netflix? I just watched a documentary about scams, and it was really good to explain them! Check out Money, Explained Episode 1: Get Rich Quick if you're curious.
Clues that Set Off My Gut Instinct
In case you ever find yourself with an email offer that looks too good to be true, check out these clues that set my own gut instinct off:
- Clue #1: The name changed from Harry Peterson to Harry Petterson at some point in the email transactions.
- Clue #2: It made no sense that the company was sending money through me to pay the decal wrapping person, instead of paying the decal wrapping person themselves.
- Clue #3#: The company did not already have my address and information (which they should have had if they were one of the companies where I registered).
- Clue #4: The emails were riddled with grammatical mistakes, such as lowercase letters at the beginning of sentences and missed spacing.
- Clue #5: They did not care that my vehicle was old, and dirty and that I was self-employed (i.e. I hardly drive at all). BIG red flag.
- Clue #6: My gut did not feel easy about this transaction. Gut instinct should not be discounted!
Oral B Car Wrap Scam - Real Example
I get emails and comments about the oral b scam all the time. You guys are receiving text messages, emails, and sometimes, even checks, from Oral B (or supposedly), and you need to know: is oral b legit (as far as car wraps are concerned)?
No. Oral B does not have a car wrap advertising campaign.
Fortunately, to show you how this particular vehicle wrap scam works, Chad offered to share his text message, email, and experience dealing with the Oral B car wrap scam.
Chad says,
"I received a text message to my phone, which I took a screen shot of. I will attach. It also has a link to follow where you fill out an application, type of vehicle how far you drive etc etc. then a week or so later I got the “acceptance” letter."
He also asked that I share the following text message and email he received, verbatim, from the scammer.
Oral B Scam Text Message:
Oral B's Scam Acceptance Letter:
From: Oral-B®
To:
Sent: April 13, 2019 at 2:22 PM
Subject: Car Wrap Acceptance Letter.Hello,
(ID NUMBER ORB/806/1218)
We will like to Thank you and Congratulate you for signifying your interest to partake in our Survey brand car wrap advert program. Your information as been kept private. This program will last for 3 months, in which the minimum you can participate is 8 weeks (contract renewable at the end of the 8th week).
Per our offer letter, I would like to restate your hiring agreement.
* You will begin your position as our brand representative.
* I understand your starting salary will be $200 per week with performance reviews per month.
* You read & agreed to our part-time scheme.
Are you Able, Willing & Capable of this position in a timely manner ? Kindly REPLY to validate your Interest, As soon as you receive this Mail.
Yours Sincerely,
Tony Gardner
Hiring Manager,
Oral-B®
The Check Chad received from Oral-B:
Oral B Scam Text Message
How to Report Car Wrap Scam Emails and Text Messages
Before we get into finding LEGITIMATE car wrap advertising opportunities, I want to give you resources so that you can report car wrap scam emails and auto-wrap spam text messages.
How to Report an Auto Wrap Scam:
- Forward Your Emails to the FTC: Did you receive unsolicited e-mail offers or spam? Forward your messages to the Federal Trade Commission at spam@uce.gov.
- File a Complaint with the FBI: You'll want to file an official complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (ITC3). They'll process them, and may or may not refer the complaint to federal, state, local, or even international law enforcement agencies for investigation.
- Report Phone Scammers: Phone scammers try to offer free grants, lotteries, product samples/trials, ask you to invest your money, and they can come in the form of actual people calling you or robocalls and even text messages. If they ask for your credit card information or social security information, then you're likely dealing with a scam. You'll want to report these by submitting a complaint to the FTC. To protect yourself for the future, place your phone number on the national DoNotCall list. Then, if you receive marketing calls still, you can submit a claim through the DoNotCall.gov site (these are different from scams, though. They might just be people trying to sell you something, which is not a scam).
- Report to Your State's Consumer Protection Agency: You can search here and find your state's consumer protection agency. They can help!
- Report Scam Checks Received to US Postal Service: If you receive an actual scam check in the mail, then you'll want to also file a complaint with the U.S. Postal Service.
- Report Scam to TruthinAdvertising.org: You can also alert this site, which routinely publishes scams (marketing and advertising scams) to help warn others before they go down the scam rabbit hole.
Here's more info on what to do after being scammed.
How Do You Find Legitimate Car Wrap Advertising?
You might be happy (and surprised, at this point) to learn that there ARE some legitimate car wrap advertising opportunities out there.
I mean, there has to be – otherwise, why would we drive by cars wrapped in advertising on the highway?
Typical signs that you’re dealing with a reputable company:
- You’ve already registered with them, and they’re sending you an offer.
- You have to tell them your driving history, and it has to be clean.
- They require you to have car insurance.
- They don’t ask YOU for any money.
- They require you to have a decent car (model year, what shape it’s in, paint job is still good, etc.)
- They are accredited by the BBB (Better Business Bureau)
List of Legitimate Car Wrap Advertising Companies – Get Paid to Wrap Your Car
Vehicle Wrap Company #1: Carvertise
BBB Rating: A
Years in Business: 6 years
Average Customer Review: 4.5 stars
Customer Complaints: there have been 3 customer complaints, each of which was closed (meaning, resolved) within the BBB
This company has placed over 6,000 car advertisements. They have a network of 425,000 drivers nationally and have paid out $1,500,000 to drivers across the U.S. Also, they're growing their driver base, with a goal to get up to 600,000 drivers in their network.
To qualify, you must drive at least 30 miles/day, and have a clean driving record. Also, your car must be a 2008 model or newer, and you will need a factory finish job (advertisers wouldn’t want to put their advertisement on a beater car!).
Payouts are typically $100 – $150/month per campaign with occasional opportunities to earn extra by doing things like parking your car in a specific location ($30/hour), posting photos, and getting your wrapping done quickly.
Here's how their wrapping process works,
"We wrap cars in-house with a team of expert detailers. We also work with a network of wrap shops across the U.S. for drivers located outside of Delaware. We work with only the highest quality wrap shops to ensure consistent quality no matter where the driver is. There is no cost to the driver for putting on/taking off the car wrap."
Wondering how you can tell if someone is scamming you by pretending to BE carvertise?
Here's their answer:
"Carvertise only sends emails from Carvertise.com – never reply to an email or message from anyone claiming to be a Carvertise representative if they are sending emails from yahoo, AOL, Gmail, or any other similar provider). We have a team of dedicated tech support, so you can also call us to speak with a live rep."
Have you received any email scams lately? Care to share to alert the rest of us?
Amanda L. Grossman is a writer and Certified Financial Education Instructor (CFEI®), Plutus Foundation Grant Recipient, and founder of Frugal Confessions. Over the last 17 years, her money work has helped people with how to save money and how to manage money.
She's been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger, Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, Business Insider, LifeHacker, Real Simple Magazine, Woman's World, Woman's Day, ABC 13 Houston, Keybank, and more. Read more here or on LinkedIn.
I got one from Oral B for $1200. With instructions to deposit the check, keep $200 and then pay the technician. I have NOT deposited the check and WILL NOT deposit the check after reading this site. They can pay the technician. I sent a copy to my bank and I am waiting to hear from the bank rep. Thanks for the info
I am SO happy you didn't fall for this vehicle wrap scam, Missy! Good for you for looking into it.
I received the same a 1200$ check in mailed
I received a $1200 check from the oral b also. I got it in the mail yesterday priority mail. Thanks for mentioning this. I wasn't sure what to do. In the invitation, they said they would pay for the installation, but the letter said it would come out of the check. Didn't find right to me. Thanks!
First of all, I’m so sorry you are being affected by this oral b vehicle scam!
If you're willing to send me an image of your check and any emails/mail you received of the Oral B wrap scam that I can use in this article to help others, please contact me using the contact form at the top of my site.
Use the subject line: “Oral B Information”. Thank you!
I already cashed in the check before looking into more, what would happen if I don't follow through?
Hi Ken! What company did you use for your vehicle wrap?
I just got an offer for oral b car wrap and the check came today for $1,200.00 I was supposed to deposit then get my 200 and the other 1000 was for the wrapper. I was told to send a confirmation immediately after i deposited the check and would be told what to do from there. It sounded awesome. I am so glad I ran across your letters and warnings before I was truly scammed.
Marsha - thank you for telling your story, and I'm tickled to hear that this article I wrote helped you to avoid being scammed out of your hard-earned cash!
Yeah I did the same thing cashing in the check. Do I have to go to my bank or worry about them getting my bank info
I'm constantly getting checks to do adverts on my car and some say send money other places and others say pay the tech when the job is completed. Thank God for my bank cause without them I would have been locked up long ago. My bank refuses to deposit checks into any account if the customer doesn't know the sender. It might be overproduction to some but I don't want to pay back something I can't afford. So far I've gotten checks from Oral-B, Nike Fri Fit, Dr Pepper, and a few others. Even if u don't think it's a scam still check them out thoroughly before risking a charge for money fraud, better safe then sorry
Wow -- the checks come in the mail made out to you? I'm glad your bank does that, and I'm glad you haven't fallen victim to the vehicle wrap scam!
i just have one today android its from oralb supposedly but at my instincts i know its too goodbye to be true but its a scam im returning their check and put a red flags on my account damn scammers i almost fall to it
Khunmahummed@outlook .com they are scammers be ware ,delete as soon as they text you ,or email you..
We are watching you ,scammers get a job and work for your money like the rest of us...money orders are a big eye opener too don't take it or cash it will come out of your own money....
Khanmuhammed@outlook.com
This guy is doing the same thing. For advertising a new drink. He wrote: "paid to drive concept "Robust Energy Drink" and it was the same message. My aunt got a check for almost $3000 and was supposed to pay the wrapping guys from that money. We found this link and I was able to stop her from doing it! Thank god. So sad people are taking advantage of this economy and stealing from innocent people. We get scared to see in other countries people that might steal something from u with a gun, reality is that this is no different...
Be aware of car wrap scams" Thanks for your info. We did received a scam as well from Khanmuhammed@outlook.com to wrap our vehicle for this new drink- I think is really sad how crazy people are stealing and taking advantage of those who fall for this things. They are stealing right in front of our eyes and taking advantage of this tough economy... This was part of their message: {["the basic premise of the "paid to drive concept "Robust Energy Drink" is to seek people regular citizens and professional drivers and all car owners, to go about their normal routine as they usually do, only with a big advert for "Robust Energy Drink" plastered on their cars. The ads are typically vinyl decals, also known as "auto wraps" here is the suspicious part of the email: ({"You will receive an upfront payment inform of certified check for accepting to carry this advert on your car and you will be the one paying the expert to build up a mutual relationship between both of you, as he will be coming to you for placing of the ad on your car after we have agreed with all terms and conditions ")}
These scams have really made me very paranoid, crimes are getting out of hand these days. Just last week some people broke into our house and took my brother's ipad and phone, just glad no one got hurt because everyone was asleep. It was a lucky break.
But yeah, thanks for the information. Bad people everywhere.
So sorry to hear that, Jay. Thank goodness no one was hurt.
Great breakdown of what to look for in internet scams!
I receive a bit of junk mail and usually delete stuff like this right away. As much as I've thought about wrapping my car, the emails I've received sound fishy. My mother in law also looked into this after receiving an email, and she declined realizing something didn't sound right. Good thing you didn't cash that check!
I have had several ..."offers" ...similiar to this but with things I have for sale on Craigslist. Probably the funniest was the $2500 check from California for a pallet of 4 inch ceramic tile. I was to keep the $500 for the tile and was to write a check to his "contractor" when he arrived to pick up and transport the tile....from Maryland... to California. I still have that check and actually told them I never recieved the first and had them send me another. These were sent UPS ground and my hope was to cost them as much money as I could. Of course when I didn't "follow thru" I did receive an agressive e-mail threatening legal action ...etc.
On a positive note a good friend years ago did get paid to have advertisement applied to his VW bug from a cigarette company (Kool). They were very specific as to how it was to be displayed and how long. As I recall his checks came monthly. The crazy thing was folks thought he worked for the company and were always asking for samples...to which he replied ...that he didn't smoke.
Thanks for the Scam heads-up....
I guess they really wanted that tile....haha!
Thanks for sharing your friend's experience; vehicle advertising revenue does exist for sure.
Also, for some reason, scammers always use the word 'Kindly' in their requests.
"Kindly confirm via usps.com". "Kindly proceed to deposit". etc...
It's a sure sign.
Solid observation--you are correct. I think in every scam email I have ever received they used the word "Kindly" at least once!
https:// oralbwraponline.com/ this is the site that I got from a txt. I’m done w/selling things on Craigslist! Scammers bombard U!
So glad to hear that you never cashed the check. What a disaster it would be! I've thought about doing that for a while, too; thank you for sharing that story! Did you report them to the BBB?
That is my next step! I saved the check and everything to do so.
The sad thing is that I'm sure many people fall for these scams all the time. We are always looking for a quick buck and we will go against our instincts in order to make one!
Definitely Khaleef--when I researched the emails I found many complaints across the internet from people who had lost money on this.
Wow...hadn't heard of this exact one yet. I know when I tried to find a tenant, people try to pull this "I'll give you a $1000 check and you give me the $500 difference" thing though. I operated on cash only for a long time, lol.
Yes--a variation on the same overpayment scheme. Thanks for sharing!
I was sent an email about Harley Davidson wrap and a cheek and tell me to send it to other places after I keep 500 the cheek is 1940 I believe and 500 to keep sending 1450 somewhere I'm not sure what to do
I also received a check from Oral B. Then I deposited it in my account. But to be safe. I did not touch the money. Then the bank declined the check. Be because the check was already presented.Then I emailed the person on the letter that was sent to me and the email doesn't work anymore Wowwwww. Something funny going on. Sounds like a scam
Definitely a scam, Mark! I'm glad you didn't touch the money, and the fact that it was declined shows that it wasn't a real check, anyway. Also, I just added a new section in the article that can help with what to do, "How to Report Car Wrap Scam Emails and Text Messages". I hope that helps.
I got the same check.I not deposit. I will either give back with VOIDED on check or shred
Give the entire pkg to local law enforcement.
I just received a scam for kronik energy drink via pH text message.
Plus I've got a text that states: "you need to see this"; and it has an 8digit number, and a web site to open -- probably to get into my ph
Yep same thing with Oral B.
I actually received a check yesterday for $1200 and they told me that the $200 was my first week's compensation and the $1000 would go to the wrapper. So I actually took out $100 and paid a bill with the other $100. Now I am up looking at my account and it is overdrawn bc the check has to be verified. How do I go about cancelling the check and will they have access to my account? I'm not sure if you ever read on this forum anymore but you can reach me at moniquemac86@gmail.com. Thank you
Hi Shawanda -- I'm so sorry to hear that you overwithdrew on your checking. They will not have access to your checking account by you depositing the check from them; however, I would alert your bank if I were you. They may even take pity that you were scammed, and reverse your overwithdrawal fees. Do NOT pay the wrapper anything -- that's how they're trying to get money from you. That check will never actually clear, and people send off the money to the "wrapper" before they are any the wiser.
Just received a check this morning, which I had to sign for, from Oral B!!! Thank you for sharing, glad I was smart enough to research! I knew I had not committed to anything I was looking at, but received a check any way!!! Grrrr Do I need to turn it in to authorities or what!!!
Let me know what you find out because I had the same thing happen to me yesterday. Thanks!
Same here.
I got my oral B check yesterday.
First of all, I'm so sorry you guys are being pulled into this vehicle wrap scam. I'm so glad I wrote about it, and that you listened to your gut!
Would any of you be willing to share a photo or forward any emails you received of the Oral B wrap scam that I can use in this article to help others?
If so, please use my contact form at the top and email me with the subject line: "Oral B Information". Thank you!
My 21 yr old son just got his check from Oral B today. He even got an email saying that the hiring managers father had passed away. The only questions they ask my son was year, make, model, and mileage on his car....funny thing is my son has no license.
Wrap your Car in an AD for $500 weekly for Oral B Toothpaste.The wrap does not damage car paints.Go to https://oralbwraponline[dot]com/ to apply. Txt STOP to STOP...got this S as t. And filled out the app. What do I do now?
Hi Lori! Don't cash any check they send, and do NOT send them any money. It's a scam.
Hi, PJ here Let me tell you of the ORALBWRAPONLINE scam that was tried on me. I received a check for $1200 in the mail,[ I actually receive a total of 3 checks] & I was to deposit it immediately in my bank account & email a copy of my deposit to ericwarren270@gmail.com & immediately call SMS 832 905 9379..[ it was a cashiers ckeck just like the one shown earlier] I called GEORGIAS OWN CREDIT UNION,& they told me the check was no good. Now i just wonder if I will have to pay income tax on these illegal checks
Sure Amanda , what do you need ? What happened Jerrie?
I got a check that looks exactly as the above example. I was offered $200 per week.
I received that same check this past Monday.. SMDH
Argh, Jerrie! I'm sorry to hear this. I just updated the article with a new section to help: "How to Report Car Wrap Scam Emails and Text Messages".
Im glad im doing my research now. I got a msg from oral b i read it but didnt commit to anything and I just received a chech yesterday for $1,320.76
Did you keep the check?
I seen a commercial on tv about put a Xerox sign on my window and get paid $500 a week. Wondering if anyone have seen or heard of this company
I actually recieved a cashiers check from the same company you mentioned. Funny thing is the next day I recieved another check both in the amount of $2650.00 and they both seem very legit and so did the mail package it was delivered in. I also got a text from a guy...listing he worked at.. bla blah company.. no need to blast a good business name bcuz a scammer used it. I am grateful for warnings on the web like this saved my bank account.Be wary of any check sent in these type amounts..
I just got a check from Coca Cola I was going to cash it at the currency exchange not my bank the amount 3800 for wrap 800 a week scammers scammers scammers don't fall for it