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!
I just got my check today with instruction. I have a bad feeling about so I started researching it and found this web-site. The person texting me is being very rude about getting it deposited. The emails are coming from Katherine Contreras.
I’m glad I looked on here before I even agreed to getting a check- it did sound too good to be true (red flag!) I emailed them to not contact me any further regarding this matter -it is a SCAM! I feel sorry for people that fell for this- as it is very easy to do especially if you are in need of the extra money to support your family. I hope they catch the people that are doing this- it is a form of “stealing”!! If you shoplift from a store they call the cops– well, if someone “steals” from us- shouldn’t we be able to prosecute them as well???!
Take the counterfeit postal money orders along with the shipping label (from the envelope they came in) along with the emails and headers of the emails) to the post office, they will send them to the postal inspectors! Make sure you include the shipping label!
Hello, whatever you do, DO NOT deposit the money orders on your account!!! No matter what you would do, they are FAKE and will be returned by your financial institution after 2 or 3 weeks!!!
I received similar emails for the car wrap for Rockstar energy drink. Although, I did not receive a check, I received two postal money orders. I have not done anything with them because I wanted to do some research first. I came across this so, I emailed them back and told them I had to deposit them and see what kind of response I get. In the meantime I am printing all the emails and getting ready to take to the authorities. Thank you for all the posts. This has been very helpful.
Boy, do I feel stupid. Answered the ad on Craigslist for a Monster Energy drink car wrap. Texted back and forth with this person, got my check in the mail today, deposited it. Then I came on here. there were hints of red flags all the way along: texting instead of emailing, texting at all hours of the night, culminating in the money order request. I’ll be calling my bank to let them know what happened.
This scam continues…I got the same Rockstar offer today (10/6/14).
Ughhhhh! Thanks so much for posting this, there’s an email going around for “Red Rooster” Energy drink car wrapping and boy did it look tempting! Fortunately I didn’t get as far as confirming that I “understood the Graphic Artist payment” and got any checks, unfortunately I did give at least some info :/ But thank you for putting this article out there!!!
Please be careful, anyone attempting to thwart these scam artists, these guys and gals have been doing this a long time, some are third and forth generations with vast networks of insiders I once received over $500,000 USD in Checks, But Get This: (THEY WERE ALL REAL CHECKS! “THAT WERE STOLEN FROM THEIR OFFICES” WHEN I CONTACTED ALL THE COMPANIES THESE CHECKS WERE SUPPOSEDLY FROM THE ACCOUNTING DEPT’S SAID THE CHECKS WOULD HAVE CLEARED, AND BECAUSE THEY DEALT WITH SO MANY, AND THE AMOUNT’S WERE SMALL (FEW THOUSAND) IN COMPARISON TO MOST OF THEIR ACCOUNTS PAYABLE, THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE WENT UN-NOTICED.) You would have a real hard time explaining that to the Authorities if an investigation happened to occur ” Trust me I know of someone who had to do THREE YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON BEHIND SUCH. “
Here is a new scam I just got:
Red Rooster Energy Drink
We are currently seeking to employ individuals to advertise our product on their Car/Truck and get paid to turn your Car/Truck into a billboard and get $500.00 per week.
Kindly email for more details,if you are interested.
Best Regards,
Simon Rose.
Hiring Manager,
Red Rooster Energy Drink®
SMS : (720) 623-7298
Recieved an email from one David Underwood.
Email: d.underwood1@outlook.com
I also managed to pull a couple of his IP Addresses and sent them to to the authorities as well. Hopefully they will do something about this :) Below is my email response to him today after I handed off all the information law enforcement would need and they had a few days head start to work on it. I hope he is scrambling and learns his lesson.
No thanks. Clearly a scam. This kind of thing isn’t going to work on people for very much longer, it has become extremely popular. Nice try though, I’ll add your name, email address, and Amp Energy Drink to the online list of scammers for this kind of thing. I also called Amp and let them know that you are perpetrating a scam in their name and notified the Attorney General in North Carolina and the one in Florida as well since he is my next door neighbor, my wife is a detective for local law enforcement, and the Chief of police lives just across the street. Also since I went to MIT for computer science and programming I went ahead and pulled your IP addresses and traced them back to the original IP and I gave those to the authorities as well. Good luck! By the way the address that I provided was fake I actually live in Florida.
Hello I was reading everyone’s story regarding this matter. I saw a job posting online for a company called ride driving.com. They stated that I can make 1000-3500 per month but to get started I would have to put a membership fee of $39.99, somewhere close to $40 bucks. Does the sound legit to you guys or is this another scam. It seemed to good to be true and couldn’t find no reviews or anything on the site.
Thank you for the blog. I am so glad I checked into this. I saw an ad on Craigslist for the same Wrap deal. The contact is :
Mike Roger
Johnnie Walker Drink Company Marketing Manager
email: mike68roger@gmail.com
Its too bad to. I could have really used the money influx right now.
Just got the check today. I am seeing how I can frustrate these bastards for a bit.
I was just scammed!!! I got the same wrap email from monster energy drinks! I deposited their check, I just got an alert from my bank that I’m -2000.00+ dollars! I contacted the bank immediately, they said there was an issue with the check, in the meantime, since I had overdraft protection, they took the money out of my other account:( now I have no money to pay bills, not even my mortgage!!! I don’t know what to do, I’m sick over this. I wish I would’ve seen this post earlier :( I assumed it was legit because I’m a blogger and get pitches to me like this all of the time. if anyone knows what I should do, can you please contact me immediately?
Thank you
Hi,
I am so glad I decided to check into this further and found your site. I have seen cars wrapped around here and would like to find a legit one that pays but it is sad that we have to weed out scam from legit. I have one for you if you feel like doing the same thing as you mention above. I received this the other day and thought hmm… I need to research this and see if this is legit or a scam. Based on your info it’s a scam. Here it is:
From: Budweiser SelectBeer (threerivershotel@Budweiser.com)
Sent: Sun 9/07/14 10:55 PM
Dear Applicant,
Wrap your car with Budweiser Select® Beer Advertisement Wrap and Get Paid… It is Very Easy and Simple with No Application fees required
Here’s how It works – The basic premise of the “paid to drive” concept Budweiser Select® Advertising seeks people — regular citizens, not professional drivers — to go about their normal routine as they usually do, only with a big advert of “Budweiser Select® Beer “plastered on your car/truck.The adverts 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.
What does the company get out of this type of ad strategy? Lots of exposure and awareness.The auto wraps tend to be colorful and 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 and can’t avoid seeing the wrapped car alongside them.This
program will last for 3 months and the minimum period you can participate is 1 month.
You will be compensated with $400 (Four hundred dollars per Week),which is essentially a “rental” payment for letting our company use the space and we shall provide Experts that would handle the advert placing on your car.
Interested person should please feel Free to fill out the information below and send it back to us today and we will get back to you with details.
Full Names:
Address Line 1:
Address Line 2:
City:State:Zip Code :
Age:
Home Phone Number:
Cell / Mobile Phone Number
Best Regards,
Brandon Williams
Hiring Manager,
Budweiser Select® Beer
PJ,Unfortunately, People still fall for their scams! Brian, Please give us the scammer’s email address!
Wow the saga simply continues! I too was taken in by a car wrap advertisement scam. My contact person is James Frank, wonder if that is truly his name. He states that my car will be wrapped to advertise Alvaro Malt energy drinks. I am currently looking at a check in hand from “Doc Pros” in Murrieta, CA it is a mobile public notary company! What do they have to do with a malt energy drink? My check is for $2,990.00. I get $500 for my first week advance and $90 to pay the processing fee to rush $2,400.00 to Ernest Moreno Jr., 30823 A St., Spanaway, WA 98387. All the while I am in Texas! I would like to know how these people think that there are dumb people out there who can’t clearly see that the logistics of where the money comes from and where we are supposed to send it, as well as where we are located does not pan out! I am receiving emails from him as I type this asking me to get my check deposited and that it will “clear in 24 hours”. What can I do to stall him and hopefully get him to leave me alone. Any and all suggests are greatly appreciated. Also “thank you” to whomever started this back in 2007. We really need to work harder to get the word out that these are always a scam.
Here is my scam, I have not received a check yet…
Congratulations,
You have been accepted as one of the eight people to participate in
this offer, As a matter of fact due to your location in your Province,
the sales manager has hand picked you in charge of the 7 other persons
in your region as well as to perform some extra task, and you will
earn an extra $50 for this position, therefore you will be
responsible to receive all 24 stickers, and help put them in the mail
to the other 7 people in your area, to get started we will send you a
cheque for $2,650.00 Upon clearing your cheque, you will be required to take
$600 plus $50 extra for your first month’s salary, you will send
$2,000.00 to another sticker agent, who’s obligation is to distribute
money to other sticker agents in his/her area.
This is a straight forward AD campaign operation, and we will like a
photo proof that the sticker is placed on your car, I also want you to
confirm that you understand what is required of you, once again, you
will receive the cheque for $2,650.00 deduct $650 and send $2,000.00 to
another sticker agent, who will distribute funds to other sticker
agents, I need you to respond stating that you understand what is
required of you, and acceptance to do as stated,
After that, you are needed to re-confirm your details below to ensure
they are correct
Full Name:
Full Address:
Province:
Postal Code:
So the cheque can be mailed out to you to get started, we want to complete
our first phase of ad campaign so as to move to another phase, where
you will play an even larger role to earn way more.
Get back to me accordingly.
Regards
Vincent
oh and his email is Vincent Benny
I received an offer from a “Paul Alfari” or “Paul Alrafi” he couldn’t even keep that straight. For a car wrap for Monster energy drink with the “graphic artist”: “Kim LaBoyne” of Chapel Hill, NC although I am in CA. Zip 27514. I just know without research that there must be an autowrap company closer to me and even Monster energy has to be closer to me. I am supposed to get the “check today”, but I told him if he couldn’t get his fake name straight he could take his scam and go to hell.
Thanks So Much ! I’ve got a check today for 1985.00 ugh !! Glad I googled the wrap car system and I Found this !! I’m thankful to all the people that shared their story . Great help and I’ll pray that good people don’t fall for it..I’m still not sure if my local law enforcement is interested in my case !?
To: David Underwood
fresnohye@msn.com
I received this:
From: piusj@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: AMP Energy Drink.
Date: Mon, 1 Sep 2014 11:37:42 -0400
Would You Wrap Your Car in an Ad for $300 Weekly.
I replied with this:
…Drink this down…
Sure Dave! But FIRST….you have to wrap your lips around .. …. something else! K M A (a hot tail pipe)
——————————————————————————–
How to scam the scammers? You can bait him! When he asks or demands you to wire the money by western union or money gram,or if he sks you to by a money pak, NEVER do that! you tell him you have to wait 20 days for the check to clear both banks. Then say, you could wire the money by direct bank transfer and ask him for his bank details! If he gives you his bank info, send that email (with headers) along with the intent email with headers to scamreports@fraudaid.com The account will be monitored for money laundering. Don’t wire him anything though. It isn’t hard to get bank accounts from scammers. You must be persistent.
Hi. I’m sitting here right now with one of these checks. Mine is for $1,978.47. For Rockstar car wrap. It is written from D&B Logistics out of Hanover, MA… which I googled and is a real company. What I want to know … is how to scam the scammers???
Don’t take it to a check cashing place! You may go to jail!
Did anyo.e take check to a cashing place and get the money and then se what happens?! Just curious?
Lol I just received a $5,500 check as well, but the accent is East Indian!!!! When the guy, David Carlton called I already knew what it was, a scam. I told him the check has been deposited and told him thank you for the free money if he wanted some come get it. He asked what I meant, I then told him I knew what it was from the beginning, and had given him a fake name, said a few words in punjabi to him called him a friend, but a “babu” (baby) when it came to stuff like this. He changed then and asked me to be his partner to make lots of money, lmao. What I didn’t tell him was that he had the check delivered onto the Navajo reservation, so this falls into their jurisdiction, my aunt has worked for Navajo Nation Dept of Justice for 20+ years and is one of top people, and has been asked by attorney general not to retire, due to her work. Lol she has all documents in her possession. I find it hilarious that when exposed he wanted to take me in partnership when he thought I was scamming him and thanked him for free money
It doesn’t cost them a lot of money to ship FedEx because they steal accounts from companies like Walmart and Amazon! A scammer sent a counterfeit check to one of my fake addresses,when I called FedEx, they said it was sent from a WalMart store!
Well I got my scam alert letter and sent the individual my somewhat correct information to armandemilio@hotmail.com who says he work for Full Throttle. I received my check today with the same instruction as everyone else. I think I’m going to have a little fun with this one. What i’m thinking is to try and get them to send as many checks as possible by coming up with some excuse like i lost it, my dog ate it or it was destroyed in a fire it must cost them some money to send these things by fedex and i think thats a great way to get back at them small amounts at a time. Any one got any other bright ideas. I think if we all keep working them them, they will eventually get the picture.
Hello, I just got that same email, word for word, verbatim, with the exception that it was to be an advertisement for Corona. It was sent to my college email address, and it was my addessed to my same first name but a completely different last name. I know better to research things and find out directly from a company whether they are legit, so I googled about the Corona auto wrap advertisment and came across this! I am glad I found this! Of course it was too good to be true, it sounded so! Thank you for posting your story! I might at least do something to help nail these bitches! :) Aren’t they committing some type of forgery or something? Whatever it is, it can’t be legal. And it looks like they’ve been getting away with it for a while…
Here’s another contact name for you. I just received a solicitation / fraudulent email today from this person today:
-Richard Jenson Agent No: 0333
Richard Jenson
Hiring consultant
Custom Autowrap INC USA
Notice that there’s no phone number in this email. Pay particular attention to the email address that it came from: admin@tomatoweeds.net
Anyone who doesn’t see these clues is very gullible, unfortunately, or possibly not very intelligent, or both. It’s a shame that so many people are falling for these scams, since they’re actually pretty easy to spot.
Here are some links that may also help you!
http://www.fraudaid.com/
http://www.fraudaid.com/solution_center/menu.htm
What should I do with the. Check they are about to send me should I return it? Please respond asap ramirezoda34@gmail.com
You can report the scams to scamreports@fraudaid.com make sure you include the headers. You should also try to bait scammers as I am. After they send the check to a fake name and address,tell them either you don’t wire money by Western Union or Money Gram, however, you will wire the money by direct bank transfer if they give you the bank details, or you can tell them you have to wait 20 days for the check to clear both banks to wire the money by WU or MG, however, you will wire the money by direct bank transfer if they give you the bank details. Email the emails they send you with the bank details and the intent email with headers to the email above!
I received this in my email after responding yes to a question asking if I wanted to make $400 a week from car wrapping with Nos energy drink.
I have reported it to scamreprots@fraudaid.com.
Hello,
Thank you for your interest. We are agents assigned by the Nos energy drink to employ individual’s world wide. This is one of the strategy designed to create awareness to the entire public about the upcoming Nos energy drink which would commence by september. Would you like to make money by simply driving your car advertising for the Nos energy drink
How it works?
Here’s the basic premise of the “paid to drive” concept: Nos energy drink seeks people regular citizens, professional drivers to go about their normal routine as they usually do, only with a big advert for “Nos energy drink Nos 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 2 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.
Does it cover the whole car?
No, the decal it only install in the car trunk and doors.
You will be compensated with $400.00 per week which is essentially a “rental”payment for letting our company use the space no fee is required from you. We shall provide experts that would handle the advert placing on your car. You will receive an upfront payment of $400.00 inform of 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.
Regards,
Ariel Bruno,
Hiring Managear
Nos energy drink
Thank you for posting this! I received an email today (below). I replied with my name, address, and phone number (no bank information or ss#). After reading your post I feel better that I’m not the only one, but terrified. Can the scammers use the information to steal my identity or harm me? Has this happened that anyone is aware of?
Dear Applicant,
Wrap your car with CORONA EXTRA BEER Advertisement Wrap and Get Paid…
It is Very Easy and Simple with No Application fees required : Here’s
how It works – The basic premise of the “paid to drive” concept
CORONA EXTRA BEER seeks people — regular citizens, not professional
drivers — to go about their normal routine as they usually do, only
with a big advert of “CORONA EXTRA BEER” plastered on your car/truck.The
adverts 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.
What does the company get out of this type of ad strategy? Lots of
exposure and awareness.The auto wraps tend to be colorful and
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 and can’t avoid seeing the wrapped car
alongside them.
This program will last for 3 months and the minimum period you can
participate is 1 month.
You will be compensated with a $300 (three hundred dollars per
Week),which is essentially a “rental” payment for letting our company
use the space and we shall provide Experts that would handle the
advert placing on your car.
Interested person should please feel free to fill out the information
below and send it back to us today and we will get back to you with
details.
Full Names:
Address Line 1:
Address Line 2:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Age:
Vehicle Type:
Cell / Mobile Phone Number
Thanks
Jessica Brown
CROWN IMPORTS LLC
—–Original Message—–
From: fillipper
To: wrapadsgraphics1
Sent: Wed, Aug 6, 2014 3:33 pm
Subject: Re: I do it
Thanks. I decided not to do this and forwarded this email to
Assistant Director Ronald C. Ruecker
Office of Law Enforcement Coordination
Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Department of Justice
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20535
—–Original Message—–
From: Lev McCracken wrapadsgraphics1@outlook.com
Sent: Mon, Aug 4, 2014 3:10 pm
Subject: RE: I do it
1) You will receive a Check as a form of payment from our sponsor. 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.
We shall be contacting you as soon as we receive this information that you have confirmed and understand this email and the content.
Best Regards,
Lev McCracken
Hiring Department,
Street King Energy Drink®
——————————————————————————–
To: wrapadsgraphics1@outlook.com
Subject: Re: I do it
Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2014 15:04:02 -0400
—–Original Message—–
From: Lev McCracken
Sent: Mon, Aug 4, 2014 2:44 pm
Subject: RE: I do it
Hello,
The 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 Street King Energy Drink®
How it works?
Here’s the basic premise of the “paid to drive” concept: Street King Energy Drink® seek residents in the United States who drives to go about their normal routine as they usually do, only with a big advert for “Street King 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.
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:
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. Street King 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.
Best Regards,
Lev McCracken
Hiring Department,
Street King Energy Drink®
—–Original Message—–
From: John Kent
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Sent: Mon, Aug 4, 2014 11:59 am
Subject: JOB OFFER: STREET KING ENERGY DRINK (SK) CAR WRAPS!!
Good day,
Would You Wrap Your Car in an Ad for $300 Weekly? If you have a car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, Tricycle, boat or concrete drum you are qualified. The wrap doesn’t damage paint. For more information please contact Lev McCracken Email: wrapadsgraphics1@outlook.com
NB:This offer is open for US Residence Only.For more information,
please contact us we shall be contacting you as soon as we receive
your email.
Best Regards,
Lev McCracken
Hiring Manager
Street King Energy Drink
You can report scams to scamreports@fraudaid.com along with the headers. The FBI may not do anything if you send the information to the FBI.
I have seen this in the past on craigslist many times. I just give the scammer the name and address of the FBI field office in the area with the name of the special agent listed there. I know it does no good since law enforcement doesn’t care about this…it just gives me a special warm feeling when I can bait them along for a over a week then tell them that the special agent in charge has their check. They always vanish at that point for some reason.
I got one from finance@heritage-investments.org also. They need to be baited!
Here is another names and information.
This is happening with Mountain Dew Energy Drinks in CANADA, and offering a payment of $600/week.
Mr. Anthony Duke from Heritage Investments finance@heritage-investments.org and phone (647) 782-0827
Yes anytime someone sends you a check with out meeting you initially then it’s fake.who would just send money? Think about it
My mom recently fell for this scam. Hers was from red bull and she made it all the way to the bank before they told her it was a fake. She never emailed the man back and he started threatening to call the police on her if she didnt send the money to the “expert”. We are now waiting to see how far he will go.
I received a check for a Red Bull car wrap…I contacted the police in the city where the Priority package originated from-I looked up the tracking info online. …they were very helpful and interested in the case but it turns out that the USPS has a greater interest and took the case. I hope my assumption is true in that it would make it a federal crime. I will be sending all my info to the Post Master to forward to their crimes div. Awesome!!! I hope they nail some of these losers!!
As of today, on craigslist in connecticut, they are doing this scam on craigslist under “general labor” job listing!
I too am waiting on my check. I cannot wait to mess with these people. It amuses me
A scam came in for me today from John Williams jwilliams10239@gmail.com for Monster Energy Drink car wrap – $300 per week. I read this, and wrote him back that I’m not interested in his scam. Just making public his name and email address in case people need to search it! :)
I would first tell him you took the check to the bank and they told you it is counterfeit and the bank confiscated the check. Then I would create another email address and bait the scammer and other scammers.
Have them send counterfeit checks to fake names and fake addresses, then when the check is about to be delivered, tell him that you have to wait 20 days for the check to clear to wire the money western union and money gram,then say, however, you can wire the money by direct bank transfer today. If they give you a bank account,report it to a scam baiting forum, they can kill the bank.
I was txt with an offer for $300 a week for a Gatoraid wrap,… Scam still running strong. Hawaii #
Thank for this site and everyone with there stories!
PART TWO….
On Wed, Jul 23, 2014 at 2:16 PM, ED wrote:
I got your check. What is the next step?
*****************************************************************************************************************
To: ED
km@ltsresearch.com
The Check received includes both compensation and funds for this survey, follow the below instructions to complete the survey.
1. Have the received check cashed at your bank.
2. Take out your compensation of $300 after cashing the check.
3. Take the rest of the funds after deduction of your compensation to the nearest Western Union outlet in your area and have it
transferred to the below information using their Money In Minutes service. Deduct whatever fee they charge you for using their
service from the amount to be transferred.
Ian Fredericks
3958 Iowa St, San Diego, CA 92119
4. While making the transfer, observe the following: How long it took you to get service and customer service professionalism
during the transfer process, under no circumstance should the Western Union Agent(s) know this evaluation is being carried
out on them.
Email me with the following information as soon as the transfer is completed:
Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN):
Name and Address of Sender:
Transaction Charges:
Western Union Location Surveyed:
A questionnaire regarding your overall experience with Western Union will be emailed to you after we receive the transfer information.
Thank you and get back to me as soon as the survey is completed today.
Sincerely,
Kathy Maunahan
Senior Research Analyst
ANY SUGGESTIONS HOW TO PLAY HER? OR ANYBODY IN SAN DIEGO NEAR IOWA ST? DOES IT EVEN EXIST?