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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'm sitting here with a check for $1970.00 from Tommy's Electric, LLC. They claim to be representative of Fitbit. I've had scammers over the years, so I usually contact the company and the bank is drawn on. To check legitimacy. This one has all the same earmarks of scams I've dealt with.
I tried to contact Fitbit on this one and they do have a legitimate car decal program. Just couldn't get anyone in person to ask if this was legit.
So, I'll hold off on the check until I get confirmation from the bank, Fitbit or I may have to Google Tommy's Electric LLC.
Good thinking, Keith! Thanks for sharing this scam (and sorry you're dealing with it).
I received a random text message from +1 (510) 241-7629 saying “Hi, I am Jordan Morris and this is in response to apply a little advert decals of the Carabao ENERGY DRINK®️ on your vehicle and you receive $500 weekly. To sign up now; kindly text back your full name, email address and mailing address, thank you.” I immediately googled “car wrap scams” and came across this site. Thank you for getting the word out there!
Oh my goodness - you're most welcome. I'm so glad you went with your gut and googled car wrap scams!!
Just received a text from Kristen Thompson allegedly representing Colgate for a car wrap scam. Nerisferas762348@gmail.com. Asking for my info for a 400 dollar a week opportunity. Thanks fir the warning.
You are most welcome, Ara! I'm glad you found the information you needed to not be scammed.
Same car wrap scam. We recieved a text from a CA # saying we would be hired to wrap our vehicle windows for $700 a week. They sent a check drawn on a bank from a Utah realtor, mailed fron a NC address (who never heard of this event). Then as soon as I sent a "nice try" text, they sent a "sorry my phone broke" text from a NJ phone #. They have a website that looks semi-proper but don't be fooled. zNo more Jolt Cola.
Thanks so much, Kelly, for sharing this car wrap scam with us. You'll save someone else from falling for it - and I'm glad you didn't fall for it yourself!
So I fell for the scam and cashed the check wat happens if I withdraw the money instead of sending it off
Hi Cody - I'm glad you have not sent any money. If I were you (and this is not legal advice, but just my advice as a blogger), I would not cash ANYTHING until you have spoken with a banker. It might appear to clear, but then in the end when the bank catches up with the scam, you would have to repay anything that you withdrew. Again, I'm not a banker or lawyer or anything, so please go talk to your bank about this. And no matter what, do not send any money anywhere.
@Amanda L Grossman,
I did one time with a check they send me for secret shopper scam
At my Bank of America five years ago they closed my account and until now I can’t open any account any bank
That happens
Oh no, Giovanna! What a huge hassle and burden for you. Thank you for sharing your experience so that others know not to cash the check, and I'm SO sorry you've had to deal with this for so long.
I received one from Ben and Jerrys. I did my research though looked it up online, seen all these other ones. The check was for $2850.00, I was to keep $800 for 2 weeks of pay and an extra $50 sign on bonus. Then was suppose to send the 2,000 to the company to come out and put the decal on my car. The length of my work was for 3 months. I almost fell for it but when things are to GOOD to be TRUE they PROBABLY ARE!!!!!
I'm SO thankful that you researched, and that you found the information in this article and the comments. Good job listening to your gut on this scam, Candace!
@Candace,
I just received the same check. so this is bogus correct
This is an email I received yesterday. If I wait for the check to clear before proceeding how can they scam me. I’m sure it is but still wonder.
Good Morning applicant , If you're still interested in driving your ride
around with our decal advertisement on it for a three months
advertisement program and get $500 (Checks) every week..Send your Full
Name, Address, City, State with your Zip Code.
A start-up check of $2,950.00 will be issued by one of our sponsors and
mailed to your address. The amount covers your first week pay($550) and the
installer's charges. Your subsequent paycheck will be $500 weekly after the
wrap has been installed.
You are required to deposit the start-up check into your bank account and
when it clears you will deduct your first week pay and send the balance to
the installer for the payment for the Auto-Decal installation, maintenance
and removal.. This is to afford a mutual relationship between you and the
installer
If you are willing to get started, please reply to this email stating that
“I understand the payment process and I am willing to proceed”. Please
include your name and full mailing address so we can mail out your check
ASAP.
Thank you.
Hi Theresa - interesting. Thank you for sharing. I'm not sure why the check would clear. If you do go through with it, please talk to your banker first and show them everything so that they can look at the check and figure out where the scam is. Also, we'd love for you to report back if you find more information, so that others won't fall victim to this, either.
I received my "check" of $2,850 today from Ben and Jerry's and a very descriptive note of instructions, seems they're getting a bit more crafty in their approach. Shame on these people, especially getting so close to Christmas. They almost got my hopes up lol.
Oh Goodness! I signed up for Aspire Energy drink and the email came and here is what it says: Is this a scam?
I am Douglas from Aspire Healthy Energy Drinks, I am writing to let you know that we received the form you submitted with us and you have been selected to put our Advert on your car.
This Advert is typically ASPIRE HEALTHY ENERGY DRINKS, this is a little MAGNETIC STICKER which will be placed on the entrance door and two side doors of your Car, You will be compensated with $500 weekly which is essentially a "RENTAL" payment for letting our company ASPIRE HEALTHY ENERGY DRINKS use the space & no fee is required from you. We will provide a specialist that will handle the ADVERT on your car door. Our specialist is responsible for putting the sticker on your car and removing it when the contract is due. Our specialist will bring a Contract form for you to fill how long you want the decal on your car. So everything can be documented because they are also incharge of removing it on your car. You will receive an up front payment of $3350 in Cashier's Check. You will take your first week payment of $500 and $50 for your expenses and the rest of the money {$2800} will be Sent to the installer with postal money order from the post office, Bitcoin or mail the cash to him to enable him to come and place the ADVERT on your car. Kindly send us your:
FULL NAME:
ADDRESS/APT:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
PHONE NUMBER:
EMAIL:
AGE:
To be sure that you're very much interested.
Thank You. Once again, Congratulations!!!!
Hi T - absolutely do NOT send the $2,800 of that fraudulent $3,350 cashier's check to the installer. That is the scam part - their check will not clear, and you would have just sent them $2,800. I'm so glad you reached out to check!
I just got a check today Fed X to me from a company named Barlics Manufacturing Co @ 816 Martin St. Rahway, NJ 07065.... Check is made out to me for $2,950.33 from Union Savings bank and Premier financial services LLC at 47 Sherman Hill Rd Woodbury CT. 06798... Why can't I just cash the check and keep it for myself? I have no contract with these people.
@David S, did you ever cash the check? If so what happened?
@David S, the check will eventually bounce and your bank will come after you for the money.
Whats happens if we just cashed the check and disappeared? Why can't we just keep it all for ourselves?
Hi David - the most likely thing that happens is the cash never reaches your account, since it's almost certain to be a fake check.
I received a text message from a Mr. Scott Williams. The instruction manager forCoca-Cola. I looked up the information and filled out quick information and added my address. I received a check just like the text said I would for $2950.
I’m so glad I came across this website! I have to admit, the check looked good a so did the weekly payment of $750! Oh well!
@Norma, was this scam
I just received a test message from 334-235-7854 asking if i would allow EVIAN Water to Place a small Sticker on my Car/Truck/Motorcycle/Bike/Boat and get $500 weekly. "Sticker size is 15 inches by 6 inches. I will be placed on the drivers door, not both sides." to apply visit https://eviantbdecal.com
I kind of had to laugh at the Motorcycle and Part but the Bike really got me. The water company is out of PA and his area code is registered in Montgomery Alabama. He also attached this email to 10 other people with the same area code and with same next three number and the last four well they good in order too. 9784, 9785, 9786. At first I was like cool than I looked up his number and the other numbers attached to the message. I keep going and check the company EVAIN's website. Well I did send them a message letting them know about this message I got. Just a little heads up. Than I found your site. Thank for the info, it took me a few to figure it was a scam. I never did click on the website he gave.
Hahahaha - can you imagine putting an advertisement on your bike? That aside (thanks for the giggle!), I'm SO thankful you found this information and listened to what your gut was telling you. Good job!
My son received a text message out of the blue to get paid $500 to get an ad put on his car for Dasani bottled water. I suspected scam right away & your post here was the second I looked at. I didn't follow through with checking it out other than when I went to dasaniwater.us as the text had said, it was not connected to any Dasani website, so I figured something wasn't right. Glad I didn't go any further! Thanks so much for all the posts & instructions on reporting as well as what to look for in legitimate companies! You have provided a great service to help others! God bless you.
You made me smile - thank you for the encouragement. And GOOD on you for not falling for this scam. I'm so glad you listened to your gut.
Hello Amanda,
I wanted to post some info here since i see no-one has mentioned recently about a scam going around from DASANI Water. I was first contacted via text about car decal opportunities, this wasn't odd at first because i did inquire on Carvertise at one point. The First red flag was that this text had group messaged me and 5 other numbers that were only two digits off, i was more concerned that these random strangers now have my cell phone number. After going onto the website and realizing they tried to make it look legit but did not feel legit, i decided to see what they would send in the mail. Here is the website, https://dasaniclassicwater.us/.
The check arrived in the mail and it did come with very vague instructions. What i find interesting though is that a lot of these other scams seem to have instructions of who to send a portion of the money to for the car wrap. This one did not, it only mentioned to "proceed with the deposit of the check through your mobile banking deposit app, ATM, deposit or through the bank teller. Balance on the payment will be send (grammatical errors in other areas of the letter) to the decal experts who will be coming over to install the DASANI WATER decal on your vehicle". They really tried to make it look legit but of course, it is a scam. They want you to text a HARRY MARTISUZ at (210)775-0234 (not surprisingly i received a text the same day the check arrived) and i need to send him the Check info (my name, check #, and dollar amount) they don't have that on record for some reason? They were nice enough to mention that i could "kindly mark out any sensitive information about my account that may revealed on the deposit slip", but are very adamant on me reporting i received the check so that way they can schedule an appointment with the decal expert to whom is unnamed.
The check is for $2,560.15. After a rough year a lot of peoples lives could be changed with that money and it is sad that they want to take advantage of people in such a way.
Want to know what the real kicker is? The check sent was from VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE, INC. Which, although the institute is legit, it is incredibly ironic what their mission statement is in comparison to the situation:
"Our Mission"
To end the overcriminalization and mass incarceration of people
of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty.
"Our Vision"
Safe, healthy, empowered communities and a fair, accountable
justice system.
What is the high majority of people being scammed by these type of companies? hmmm... something is really wrong here.
I contacted the Institute to let them know what is going on and will be moving forward with reporting this as well to other agencies.
I really hope people see this info and know that no matter what these scams try to disguise themselves as, crooks will always be crooks.
Stay safe everyone
Oh Rebecca...that is quite sneaky and different that they didn't ask to deposit the money and then immediately send a portion of it (before the check doesn't clear in your account) to someone, so I appreciate you taking the time to detail this one out. And yes, what a kicker that mission statement is! Thank you SO much also for letting them know what happened.
@Rebecca Busch,
Very similar story here with "Dasani" the guy has been texting me all day starting at 6:11 am asking me if I have deposited the check yet. I texted back that I will as soon as I verify a couple things. He has since disappeared. Hehe. Of course the phone number is a VOIP and not a real number or connected to anyone...which is always a clue something's off... A damn shame cause of course any of us hard working honest folk could use a check that looks like that.... I want to laugh at how obvious these vermin are but it actually really irritates me and makes me wish I could find this heap of dung and show him a scam....