In a nutshell: car wrap scams are a type of fake check scams.
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I first wrote about this scam back in 2013 and it’s almost 10 years later and still going strong.
This post alone has over 1,000 comments from people I’ve helped and countless more have written to me privately. I’ve saved tens of millions of dollars from falling into scammers hands.
If you aren’t careful, it can cost you thousands of dollars.
In fact, a study by the FTC showed that people reported a median loss of $1,988 in 2019 to fake check scams, including car wrap scams (Source)
Today, I’ll explain what a car wrap scam is, how to spot one, and relay my own personal experience with this scam, complete with photos.
How Do Car Wrap Scams Work?
As I’ve mentioned, car wrap scams are a type of fake check scams.
Generally, here’s how a fake check scam works:
1. Scammers get in contact with you.
Scammers get your information while you’re looking for a legitimate work from home job and reach out with a job offer.
Or maybe you end up contacting them because you saw an ad to “get paid to drive,” “mystery shopper wanted,” or “virtual assistant wanted.”
Others tell you that you’ve won a sweepstakes, even though you don’t remember ever buying a ticket or entering a contest.
2. They send you a fake check.
Once the scammer is talking to you, they send you a genuine-looking check. These checks look genuine enough to fool you and bank tellers.
Car wrap scammers will send you a check for a greater amount than they agreed to pay you. They’ll then tell you to deposit the check and send the graphic designers or car wrap service the rest of the amount so they can come and wrap your car.
Mystery shopping scammers will assign you to evaluate the services of a money transfer service or money order retailers, and sometimes gift card retailers. They’ll then send you a check to deposit it in your personal account and then wire the money to someone else or buy gift cards in that amount and send the codes to them.
Virtual or personal assistant scammers send you a check and then instruct you to buy gift cards for supplies for your clients and then send them the codes.
Sweepstakes scammers send you a huge check and then instruct you to wire them a certain percentage for taxes, handling fees, or processing fees.
3. You deposit the fake check.
When you make a check deposit, banks are legally required to make the funds available for you to withdraw immediately.
So you withdraw the funds and send the money to someone else or buy the gift cards, etc.
It all seems fuss-free and above board, right?
Wrong.
4. The check bounces.
It can take days or even weeks to uncover a fake check.
Once it’s uncovered, the check bounces and the bank takes back the money from your account.
But you’ve already sent thousands of your own dollars to the criminals!
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And they’ve vanished by this time. No way to contact them, no way to get the gift card codes back.
So you’re on the hook for the money, and now you have to explain to your bank why you even deposited a fake check into your account in the first place. You’re out the overdraft fees as well if you don’t have enough to cover the money that the bank took back.
This post was originally published in 2013. This scam is STILL occurring today and it looks like it will continue well into the future.
In fact, car wrap scams are now even more dangerous as the people behind them are coming up with more convincing ways to trick people into losing their hard-earned money.
For instance, some of the brands they claim to work with include ROCKSTAR Energy Drink®, Monster Energy Drink, Aquafina, Pirelli Tyres, McCafe, Dunkin’ Donuts, Langers Juice Company, Dr. Pepper, Marlboro, Purell, and many other big names.
Keep reading to see my experience with this scam and if you have received an email that you think might be sketchy, please post it in the comments below.
Can I cash the fake check?
The very first question I get asked is: “Can’t I just take the fake check to one of those check cashing places and keep the money?”
The answer is a hard no.
Check cashing facilities do not hand out money anonymously. You need to provide them with your identity, proof of residence, proof of employment, phone number, address, and so on. Even if they do manage to cash the check for you, the check will bounce and now they know how to get in contact with you.
They will start off by calling you, then mailing a certified letter, then they will escalate it and get the authorities involved. If you do not respond to their attempts to contact you, you can expect a warrant to be placed for your arrest by the authorities.
How to Spot, Avoid, and Report a Car Wrap Scam
So, knowing all these, what can you do to protect yourself from being scammed?
Take note of the following information:
1. Know how legitimate car wrap companies operate.
Actual car wrap companies do exist, such as Carvertise, Wrapify, Nickelytics, and My Free Car.
The main thing is that normally drivers come to them, not the other way around. They typically evaluate drivers based on how many miles they drive, where they drive, and their driving record.
They typically cover the cost of the wrapping themselves, too.
So if you do receive an email asking if you’re interested in having your car wrapped and getting paid hundreds of dollars a week, and you know you haven’t contacted or applied to a car wrapping company, ignore it. That’s likely a car wrap scam.
Most importantly, the amount on the check they’ll send you is exactly for the agreed amount, if they even pay you by check. Carvertise, for instance, pays you via direct deposit.
2. Never deposit checks from people you don’t know.
Sometimes it can be that simple.
Got a check in the mail from a stranger? Put it down and report it (see how below).
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3. Never use money from a check to buy gift cards, money orders, or wire money to third parties.
This applies even if you were written a check by someone you know.
If you buy gift cards and send the codes, or wire money, that’s like giving someone cash. You’re never going to get that money back.
Plus, what legitimate company wants you to send them digital gift cards? This alone doesn’t pass the sniff test.
4. If you receive a suspicious check, report it immediately.
Help yourself and other potential victims by reporting it to the following:
- Federal Trade Commission
- US Postal Inspection Service (under mail fraud)
- Attorney General
So what should you do when a scammer wants you to cash a fake check?
Here’s my personal experience with these car wrap scammers:
The Car Wrap Scam
In mid-September, I received an email from “David Christian” that originated from the address patriciabarrington@hotmail.com. The email simply said the following: Would You Wrap Your Car in an Ad for $300 Weekly? After I answered “yes,” I received the following email back:
Hello,
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 cars 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 in the United States of America. How would you like to make money by simply driving your car or banner wrapped for ROCKSTAR Energy Drink®
How it works?
Here’s the basic premise of the “paid to drive” concept: ROCKSTAR Energy Drink® seek residents in the United States who are professional drivers to go about their normal routine as they usually do, only with a big advert for “ROCKSTAR Energy Drink®” plastered on your car. 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 car’s exterior surface.Don’t Have a Car?
If you don’t have a car, you can also participate if you have a bike.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 car 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 car?
The decal doesn’t damage the paint of car and will be removed by our representative once the contract expire. 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 space and no fee is required from you. ROCKSTAR Energy Drink® shall provide experts that would handle the advert placing on your car. You will receive an upfront payment of $300.00 in form of a check via courier service for accepting to carry this advert on your car.
It is very easy and simple no application fees required. Get back with the following details if you are interested in this offer.
Applicant information:
Name :
Full Street Address(not PO BOX) :
APT #:
City,State,Zip Code:
Cell Phone Number:
Home Phone Number:
Age:We shall be contacting you as soon as we receive this information.
Best Regards,
David Christian
Hiring Manager,
ROCKSTAR Energy Drink®
I provided my contact information, after which I received the following email:
Thank you for your swift response and your willingness to work with us. To this effect, you are advise to check your email regularly to get updates as to know when your upfront payment will arrive at your address.
1) You will receive a Check as a form of payment. As soon as you get the check, you will cash it for the decal wrapping on your car and deduct $300.00 as your up-front payment. The rest of the funds from that same check should be transferred to the Graphic artist that will wrap the decal on your vehicle. All you need is to confirm the acceptance and understanding of this email.
2) You will make a transfer of the remaining funds to the Graphic artist via wire transfer at an outlet in your area, the Info which you will make the transfer to will be emailed to you soon.
3) We’ll like you to confirm Information about your vehicle as below:
i) Type of Car and Color :
ii) Model/Year :
iii) Present Condition and the Mileage:
Note: Please, confirm that you did receive this message so that we can process funds that would be sent to you for the car advert.
All other instructions will be sent out to you asap.
I…………..Confirm to have received this email and understand the content.
Best Regards,
David Christian
Hiring Manager,
ROCKSTAR Energy Drink®
The Fake Check Arrives
I confirmed my willingness to work with “ROCKSTAR Energy Drink.” About a week later, I started receiving text messages on my phone from David Christian regarding my upcoming “check”.
Sure enough, when I went home and opened my mailbox, I found a check made out to me in the amount of $2,350. Woo hoo!
Interestingly, the check was made to look like it was coming from BOP, LLC, a legitimate clothing store business here in Madison, Wisconsin. The envelope, however, had a copy of a USPS Priority Mail 2-Day slip on it in which Rudy Grado, at 27405 Sutherland Drive, Warren, MI 48088-6078, was noted as the sender. I took pictures of both the fake check and the envelope it came in and have provided these pictures below. The pink stickies were affixed by me to hide my home address.
I called BOP, LLC and told them that I had received a check from them for the amount of $2,350. The business immediately asked me if my check was blue. I said no; it was actually a green color. The store immediately informed me that the check was fake and I should talk with law enforcement.
Meanwhile, I had David Christian texting me at least twice that day and asking me if I’d received my instructions on what to do with the check. I texted “him” back that I had yet to receive any emailed instructions. Naturally, when I later checked my email I found the following message:
Hello Halina,
Kindly proceed and deposit the check into your bank account and funds will be available for withdrawal 24hrs after it has been deposited. I will be waiting for a confirmation message immediately the check is deposited.
As soon as the cash is out you are to deduct $300.00 which is your upfront payment and forward the balance ($2,050.00) to the graphic artist that will be wrapping the decal on your vehicle via Money Gram and they will also be responsible for removing the decal when the program is completed. Please visit www.moneygram.com to check agent location close to you and make transfer through them.
Below is the name of the receiver. Please note that the transfer charges should be deducted from the remaining $2,050. You are to get back to me with the transfer details (Reference Number and the exact amount sent).
Below is the Graphic Artist Money Gram details to send the Money to
Receiver’s Information:
Name: Sandra Fagan
City: Jacksonville
State: FL
Zip Code: 32210Kindly get back with the information below once the transfer has been completed.
Reference Number & Total Amount Sent
FAQ: Why am I sending money to Florida? The head office of the graphic artist is in FL.
As soon as payment is acknowledged by them, a local artist in your area will be sent to your address to install the decal wrap on your car. Let me know as soon as the check is deposited today.
If you require additional information, do not hesitate to email or call me.
Best regards,
David Christian
Hiring Manager.
(702)605-0985
What do you think I should do?
At this point in time, I’m debating about taking several different courses of action. I could do the following:
1. Contact local law enforcement and tell them that Patricia Barrington, Sandra Fagan and Rudy Grado are writing fake checks in a legitimate Madison business’ name.
2. Contact the FBI about the same issue since it spans several states (i.e., Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada and Florida).
3. Tell the scammers that I’ve deposited the check and am waiting for it to clear. This puts the car wrap scammers in a holding pattern because checks typically take 1-2 weeks to clear.
4. Tell the scammers that their “employment” check has been forwarded to the IRS for cashing because I owe back taxes and all my earnings must first be garnished (That should put them into a panic!).
5. New development! I might have a second car wrap scam check coming to my house very soon. This one is from George Jennings of NOS Energy Drink. Should I tell the ROCKSTAR scam folks that I’ve instead decided to work with the NOS scam folks- or vice versa?
I’ve Tried That readers, what would you do in this situation?
Update as of October 7, 2013:
First off all, thank you everyone for your feedback! I was feeling a little confrontational this morning, so I decided to first text David Christian and say that I’d deposited the check last Friday at my bank. Within seconds, I received a text message back from him, asking if I’d received my email instructions.
Deciding to not play text tag any longer, I called Mr. David Christian at the phone number (702) 605-0985. A guy with a slight English accent picked up the line and actually identified himself as David Christian. I told him that I’d deposited the check I’d been sent last Friday, but the bank had put a hold on it for some reason. He asked me how long the hold was. I answered that the bank wanted to hold it for two weeks.
David didn’t seem too concerned about the hold and said that I could just wait until the check cleared, then write out my own check to the graphic artist.
I then asked David about the Madison business that had been listed on the check (BOP, LLC). I said I was confused about why this business was being listed on the check. David answered that this business was the sponsor.
I then told David that I had contacted this business and they had no idea what I was talking about. BOP had also told me that the check was the wrong color (their checks have a blue background).
At that point, David and I lost connection. I tried calling him back at least two times. No answer. I wonder what happened. I hope he’s OK…
Update as of October 12, 2013:
This past week, I received the following email from a “George Jennings (george.jennings11@outlook.com)” of NOS Energy drink:
Hello Halina,
Information reaching me this morning has it that you will be receiving the check today. The check of $2,330.00 has been sent to you via USPS with tracking number (9405501699320009816575) and it will be delivered to you this morning. Kindly proceed and deposit the check into your bank account and funds will be available for withdrawal 24hrs after it has been deposited.
I will be waiting for a confirmation message immediately the check is deposited. As soon as the cash is out you are to deduct $300.00 which is your upfront payment and forward the balance ($2,030.00) to the graphic artist that will be wrapping the decal on your car via Money Gram.
They also will be responsible in removing the decal when the program is completed.
Below is the name of the receiver. You are to get back to me with the transfer information (8 digits Money Gram Reference) Number and the exact amount sent). You are to deduct the transfer charges ($180.00) from the $2,030.00 you have with you.
Below is the Graphic Artist Money Gram Details to send the Money to in Minutes
PAYMENT INFO
Name: Constance H Lawson
City: Saint Johnsbury
State: Vermont
Zip code: 05819Kindly get back with the information below once the transfer has been completed.
Money Gram Reference Number# & Total Amount Sent
FAQ: Why am I sending money to Vermont? The head office the graphic artist is VT, As soon as payment is acknowledge by them, a local artist will come to your house and install the decal wrap on your car. Let me know as soon as the check is deposited.
If you require additional information, do not hesitate to email me or call me.
Best Regards
George Jennings.
951-234-7388
Hiring Manager.
And here’s the fake check:
I’m seeing at least one common theme between the NOS and ROCKSTAR Energy Drink scammers. First of all, the car wrap “sponsors” are both clothing shops, BOP (of Madison, WI) and Madison et Cie (of Los Angeles, CA). What a clothing shop has to do with an energy drink, I haven’t a clue.
I also think that the NOS scam artists are far more sloppy than the ROCKSTAR Energy Drink scam artists; why would an LA-based shop sponsor a car in Madison? Unless that shop was picked only because it has the name “Madison” in it- did the scammers think I wouldn’t notice the location of this “Madison”-based shop?
Update as of October 15, 2013:
So, apparently, I don’t have to be scammed for $1,850 ($2,030 – $180 for wire transfer charges). I can also be scammed for just…get ready for it…$1,000!
Hello Applicant,
You are receiving this email because you applied for car wrap job. We are please to inform you that your application has been processed. Payment has been sent and delivered which include your 1st week payment and funds for the graphic artist. We will like to have an update from you if you have been able to forward fund to your matched graphic artist head office. If yes, provide the transfer info and If you are yet to receive payment from us, please let us know so we can process your application immediately. We look forward to your swift response.
Regards
George Jennings
My reply (including all broken grammar and misspellings): Thank you for email. My bank deposited the check but tell me I will receive back only one thousand dollars from thsi check. I don’t understand why.
George Jennings: Why is that? What did the bank say?
My reply: The bank is saying that the IRS is going to garnish my check as wages. I’m supposed to send them a W-9 from NOS too. Can you send a W-9 for these wages?
George Jennings: All the necessary document will be presented to you before the installation. Kindly proceed to send the $1000 via Western union to Constance to enable us book the installation appointment and the graphic artist will bring the W-9 with him. I will be expecting the Western union details.
Update as of October 18, 2013:
My saga with George Jennings continues:
Me: What about the $200 wire transfer charge?
GJ: The transfer charges should be deducted from the $1000. Kindly try and get this done today so the appointment can be booked.
Me: I sent a check this afternoon to the graphic artist. Thanks!
GJ: To who? You are to make a western union transfer to the details that was sent to you. Not send a check besides no address was provided to you.
Me: To Constance H. Lawson. She lives on Railroad St. in Saint Johnsburg, VT. It was much cheaper for me to just send a check.
GJ: Call it back.
Me: I already sent the check to her, but I can call her phone number and let her know not to cash the check. Or, should I send payment to the following address: PO Box 4125 Saint Johnsbury, VT 05819-4125
At this point, George stopped answering my emails. Too bad…
The Bottom Line: Avoid Car Wrap Job Offers
At best, responding to these scammers will waste your time. At worst, it could cost you thousands of dollars, financial ruin, and get you in trouble with the authorities.
Avoid any offered car wrap jobs, ignore the people behind them, and always do your research.
However, since you’re here reading this, you’re no doubt interested in finding new ways to make some extra money.
Recommended Resources
- Get Paid to Drive
- Secret Shopper Jobs
- Virtual Assistant Jobs
- Legitimate Work from Home Jobs
- Side Hustles That Make Money
- Online Business Ideas
- 20 Ways to Make Money with Your Phone
I hope this post helped you avoid a scam and find a legitimate opportunity to pursue.
Please leave a comment below if you’ve ever had a run-in with one of these scammers. Every comment helps!
The bank withdrew the $2,010.00 today with no comment. I do wonder what they would have done if I had no money in my accounts.
@Elain Carroll so true. The bank should should if the check is valid, or not.
Always ask the bank to call the bank that issued the check to find out if it’s good. Never just cash it! I think the banks should take some responsibility here as well. If my bank cashes a check, I assume it is good. I don’t expect to hear, a week or ten days later, that it wasn’t.
Thanks for your response. It helps to know that I kept somebody else from getting scammed.
Aww man.. I just got this email and was researching if it was scam. Total bummer. But mine is for Monster energy drinks. Thanks for posting your experience!
I just fell for a slightly different version of the scam. I advertised some items on Craigslist and received a response from a Jerry Schultz. He said he would send me a certified check for the items purchased and I was to let him know when I received it. When the check arrived, it was made out to me in the amount of 2,010.00. The items purchased came to $62.00. The next email I received said that he had purchased more items; furniture, etc. and his “mover” was in my area. He asked me to cash the check issued by Spartan Manufacturing Corporation at 110 Hepler St. in Kernersville, NC. The issuing bank was New Bridge Bank (which turns out to be legitimate) on Highwoods Blvd. in Greensboro, NC; keep out the $62.00, plus another $50.00 for my trouble and wire the remainder to Junruo Yao in San Jose, California.
When the second check arrived in my mailbox – again made out to me. This time in the amount of $1,950.00, I knew I’d been scammed!!
I reported it to the FBI Cyber Crime website and notified my bank. Long story short: the check was not valid and as soon as the bank figures it out, which takes at least a week, they will remove $2,000.00 from my account. An expensive lesson and another reminder that it is important to talk with family and friends before doing something so unusual. My sister immediately identified the scam when I told her. Why? Because one of her friend’s sons fell for the same scam!
I received a scam like this but it’s for Tom’s. My check is on its way as we speak. The person communicating with me is Klein Spurling & I’m supposed to send funds to a David Rogers in Odessa Texas.
I live in Boise and received the same scam only with different names and addresses of were to send the money-they said the check would be for $950.00 and it was for $995.00 and money order then fed ex and it was a money gram-red flags, so I called law enforcement, and they are not interested.
I answered a Craigs List ad and got a check for $2500 to wrap my car for Johhnie Walker. The check is from Spartan manufacturing Corporation in Kernersville, NC. The check is drawn from NewBridge Bank in Greensboro, NC.
The contact person’s name was Luke Taylor. He text messaged me from two Kentucky phone numbers: 502-230-3396 and 502-238-1139. I was told to deposit the check then contact Luke for instructions.
I asked for instructions before cashing the check. The response was to moneygram or western union money to Junruo Yao in San Jose, 95113.
I texted “Luke” to say this sounds like a scam. He called me from 502-230-3396 to assure me it wasn’t a scam. “Luke” had a very thick accent that sounded Asian.
Needless to say, I won’t be depositing the check.
I just realized, the funny thing, if you can find some humor in this, is had they sent me the check, and told me to deposit it and forward them cash, it would never happen. At least with me. The scam required there being cash in the account to work. If I had the 2000+ dollars in my account, I wouldn’t need there check in first place. I am a firm believer in karma, what goes around comes around. These people are setting themselves up for a serious personal hell! Sorry, got off topic, had to vent. Happy holidays everyone, thanks to you all for your help.
Hi G. Craft,
I know what you mean about “needing the money to send the money.” It was one of the responses I was considering when I was dealing with my own scammers. Then, every time they called or wrote me, I could’ve just told them that I was still waiting for the check to clear- and no, I didn’t have “extra money” in my account to send to them right now. Many people do live like this, by the way, going from paycheck to paycheck and hoping nothing bounces along the way. Good call there.
And I thought it would be a fast way to make cash.. Then I goggled his e-mail address.. and I found this…
Thank you for the warning.. I will not purse this jerk.
Almost fell for the George Jennings NOS scam! Started to do some investigation on all of the different names and addresses. Red flags everywhere! Still wanted more confirmation, so I took it to my bank. They verified it to be a total scam!!! They not only would not deposit the check, but they also confiscated the printed out email along with the check. People BEWARE!!!!
Hi Tammy,
Good to hear! Maybe your bank will be able to take some measures against this scam…but it’s really hard to track down fake names, addresses, etc.
Thanks for this post. did not do the research until after I commited to do this. A check should be in my mailbox this afternoon, which I will not do anything with. I did email David Christian and told him that I found out this was a scam and that I would be forwarding all information to authourities. Thanks for saving me some hassles.
To everyone out there following these car wrapping scams I also want you to be prepared for one that came acrossed my email the other day asking if I was interested in a job as a personal assistant it told me to go to office Depot or Office Max and by check paper they wanted to know what kind of printer I had and said they will email me there employees names and addresses I was to print the checks and mail them out ask payroll. I think that’s how these car wrapping scams are doing it unsuspecting people are making checks for someone they think is legitament and mailing them out like they.
are told where I would hope that people would realize they are printing checks that is a crime in itself I did not fall for that just to let you know I was smarter than that but just by putting 2&2 together the checks that are coming to everyone’s houses might be mailed from someone else that has no clue what they’re doing if you think about it and these people making the checks think they are doing payroll and we are cashing them and sending the money on that is why the police departments are not doing much because the one making the check to pay payroll and the ones cashing the checks are the ones breaking the law all the actual criminal is doing is collecting the money that you send to him so please read the other post I posted and think before you become a victim as well thank you and have a good night
My name is Wayne voiles, I also received a check in the mail today and I want to thank everyone for their comments and the person that gave me this link. You have no idea how much you saved me from making a HUGE mistake. I received a check in the mail for 2500 dollars and I bragged to friends and family all day I was. So excited I never thought it might be a scam that never crossed my mind after reading everyones comments I want to say a heartfelt thank you for saving what money I did have in the bank. And I want everyone to know who is interested in pursuing this you are more than welcome to have my email address and to contact me I. will get with as many of you who want to and try our hardest to run this through the court system to get this. stopped I was lucky and did not get scammed but I. I know a lot of you did I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year god bless and fill free to contact me I am more than willing to help wherever I can.
to contact me if need beknow a lot of you did
Hello Wayne,
At ITT, our main goal is prevent other folks from being taken in by scam artists. All of us here are really happy to hear that this site prevented you from getting swindled. Thank you for your wonderful comment too, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you as well!
I am so glad to find this out to be a scam. I received an e-mail from a Frank Hambric supposedly from Texaco. I would receive $400 a week rental fee. This close to Christmas the money would come in very useful as I was injured and unable to work the past few weeks. When I received the 2nd e-mail requesting the information to send the check too, I decided to do some research. I went to the Texaco web site and asked customer service to confirm the offer. They were very quick to respond warning me it was a scam. Said thank you for the heads up and was in the process of finding the e-mails point of origin. How sad it happens so close to holidays when people become almost desperate to find gift money for family.
Thanks – I just received the George Jennings email and figured it was a scam. You confirmed it, good work in posting this.
I too encountered the car wrap scam on Craigs list reported it to them they made no attempts to remove the Ad. I turned the check into my local police station with as much info as i could find on the scam artist and even though they kept the check and info they said there was nothing you could do it is a common scam and peopel fal for it all the time. They offered to run an ad in the local paper but stated that they do this every year and people still fall for it. They had no interest in wasting their time on investigating it …Shame
The Nova Cell Winery has scammed me as well. I fell like such an idiot believing in this. My account was restricted last night because of the fake check. I should have done research first. Now I have to deal with this entire mess. This person Samy continues to email me asking me if the check has cleared. I mean from reading all of the comments above it just sounds like this people can just get away with this without any repercussions. I will keep pressing until this false advertiser, who had ruined my account for the time being, is fully prosecuted.
yup,…
im from dickinson north dakota and just the same letter ,..which profiles a scam same same,…aurto wrap deal !
BTW, if ur in Florida, you can report this to the Florida office of the Atty General. http://myfloridalegal.com/ Pam Bondi
Just received my $2k check from TONY LITTLETON. Says its from Thiel College. I thought I actually won something. rstc.applynow@gmail.com is who emails came from. I didnt try to cash it after reading what everyone put here.
I was suppose to send it to this woman.
NAME: Sharon Mcclendon
ADDRESS: Los Angeles, CA 90019
After sending get back to me with the 10 Digit MTCN NUMBER(WESTERN
UNION) and exact amount sent
–
Total Amount Sent:
10 Digit MTCN #:
I just responded to George Jennings for NOS Energy Drink. Thank you so much for your information. I thought it all sounded too good to be true except that I had applied to have my car wrapped about a year ago. I thought this was in response to that but decided to check on it. Western Union transfer made we cautious. Thank you! I almost fell victim to this.
Good Girl, You did good, just play dumb and they will go away or do like Mr. Steve Bellman; request a lot of checks until they figure that they’re losing money unstead of scamming people for money. Good luck.
Craigslist has a scam for the same thing. So I answered it and received a check in the mail, but what got me is I live in Helena MT and why am I sending money western union to a place in Rhode Island. So I made a copy of the check and faxed it to EZ Money check cashing company cause they can tell you right away if a check is good or not and the check was counterfeit. So the chicks name is Elizabeth Fisher email
arleennewhouse4@gmail.com phone number 646-504-9731 Stupid chick kept texing me about the money that to made me nervous.
So the point to this is if you are ever questioning a check you receive go to a check cashing place they can give you a lot more info than a bank.
How about the same scam on buying cars I have 68 checks from the scammers ,I cost them at least 5.00 every time they try me!!
PS LAW ENFORCEMENT CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THEM!!
This happened to me! I got a check for 1,640! Know that I realized this is fake I am not sure what to do anymore. Should I contact law enforcement? How did it end up for you? Did you contact anyone?
I would get checks and say I cashed them, not cash them, and then send the graphic person the check the scammer sent me in the first place.
I’d also tell the scammer I can’t cash checks cause I don’t have a bank account so they should sent money by money gram.
I’d just mess with them
Just got scammed by the NOS car wrap. My husband applied to do it, but I did not trust it. The bank was way too suspicious and we waited until we got the notice in the mail today that the account does not exist. I should have researched it before. The guy kept emailing asking if the check cleared.
This time they used a pedicure company’s name. I will be contacting them in the morning.
We are only out $10 for this.
I live in vancouver B.C Canada and have just received a check for 2,550.00 from Miami Beach Florida to apparently get a Johnny Walker car wrap sticker put on my car!So here’s the funny thing.After I looked into this a little deeper and discovered the scam,I e-mailed these morons back and told them I was on to them and will be contacting the proper authorities on both sides of the border!And the morons still sent the check!My question is whom to contact in Canada? Interestingly the check has no date on it.It is a CIBC check from Toronto and and international money transfer address in Quebec.
What was the end result with the NOS scam? I fell for the same thing!
Hi Mariah,
The state attorney general is often the person who handles business scams, especially when they involve several states. I did contact the businesses that were mentioned on my fake checks but, to be quite honest, they brushed off the issue and just told me to contact law enforcement. I know that most info provided on these checks, bank accounts, etc. is fake, so the police would need to use a detective to find the scammer. Long story short, I didn’t bother with the law.
What should one do with the fake check? I have received one in the mail, exactly like one above. Is there some law enforcement person or department in particular to contact?
Thanks for doing this. Got an email for Johnny Walker car wrap!! I was excited esp since it’s around the holidays. This has happen to me in the past on craigs list. But I called the bank the check came from first to verify it was legit and no brainer it wasn’t!! To good to be true. Please people check first before depositing into your account.
Well, well, well. Check bounced today! Thankfully I am only out the $20 it cost to get the money cards, and the $12 my bank is charging me for the returned check. I am contacting law enforcement to give them all of the information I have. Also contacting Texaco to let them know someone is perpetuating a scam under their company name.
So I also received one of these offers, and it all started out very professional and legitimate sounding. This offer was from Mike Bolliger, hiring manager at Texaco. The email came from hiring@texaco-us.com. It all sounded good until instead of me transferring payment to the wrap artist when work was scheduled and completed, Mark decided he wanted money cards to pay the wrap installer. I went so far as to buy these because I had enough money in my account to cover if the check bounced, and I could apply to my paypal if it went South. He then demanded I give him the account numbers on the cards and claimed I was defaulting on our contract and holding company funds. He threatened to have me dealt with thoroughly…I let him know he could contact local law enforcement because I would gladly meet with them. My check has not bounced yet, but I am expecting it to any day.
I just received a Car wrap email from Mike Bells claiming to work for Rock star Energy Drinks. I already emailed him my info. Prior to reading this.
I received the car wrapping scam from George Hubert, george.hubert1@aol.com, and
George Hubert 909-353-1929, autowrap.expert00@live.com the check was send via FedEX (from a person in New Mexico who’s FedEX account was stolen.) for $2435.00 with the same info to cash check and transfer funds via moneygram to a Florence Belcher 5514 Lawrence Ave. Panama City, FL 32404 (address none existent, just one of several)
Finally, some justice: Mendham man pays $130,000 penalty over ‘work-at-home’ scheme http://www.nj.com/business/index.ssf/2013/10/mendham_man_pays_130000_penalt.html
They are now using FIFA World Cup 2014 as a car wrapping scam. Just saw a posting on Facebook and decided to send an email. The email he sent back was word for word, the same as the one you listed. The only difference was using Brasil FIFA 2014. Gave me a number to text only. I almost had them go ahead and send a check so I could turn him in the police. Thanks for keeping people informed.
Dominic, you and I are in the same boat. Most people wait for a check to clear before taking the next step. Most, anyway. I guess these scammers are counting on a few folks out there to trust the check as legitimate and start the wire right away.
I’m just curious how he was going to get money from people. Did “he” assume that some people would just wire the $2,050 off to “the artist” before their check had cleared, or what?
This scam has been growing in popularity for the past 4-6 months. Like Adam says, it is amazing the lengths con-artists will go to to steal your hard earned money.
People like this hurt legitimate businesses that are in the same market. It can be so frustrating! Thanks for keeping the public informed, a good read all around.
It’s always interesting to read about the lengths people will go to try to con you out of your hard-earned money. Thanks for posting, keep us updated if there’s any progress :)
Cheers,
Adam
Had you thought of contacting your city’s Prosecuting Attorney? or the state’s Attorney General? They may already have experience with these scammers and can tell you exactly what to do next. Or not do.
Hi John,
Thanks for the reply. I just spoke with “David Christian” on the phone now and my update is posted. I also am hesitant to contact law enforcement because I think that these scammers are all using fake names, numbers, etc. Luckily, my phone contact with “David” might be traced by my phone company- but if he’s using a disposable phone, this still gets me nowhere.
I agree and would call Attorney General’s office. Fake checks, fake advertising. You should get direction, so as not to put yourself at risk.
I like options four and five, HaHa!!
Thanks Louise! I am definitely considering contacting law enforcement, especially since these scammers are using the name of a legitimate business here in town. I just wonder how far I can hook them first…before I reel them in.
Wow! This story actually scared me. I have, in the past, considered doing a car wrap. It seems like a no-brainer way to make money!!! I’m so glad you posted this.
I’m sorry to hear it was a scam! BUT, I would turn everything over to the authorities immediately! You never know what desperate scammers will do to get their money!! Probably local first and they can get the FBI involved if needed. They may even have strategies for flushing them out with your help – but then at least you would have protection!
I hope it all ends well and I hope you will update all of us on the outcome. :)
I would tell them your bank put a 5 day hold on the funds. Then contact local law enforcement and the FBI. It will be interesting to find out if the law is even interested in pursuing this. Are those folks names even real people? You know how to check on that i’m sure. Nail their asses for sure, although I’m wondering if this scam is coming from overseas or the US for real. Keep us posted.