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!
is this not considered as Felony Mail Fraud?
I almost fell prey to the same scam. Here is the email I received after agreeing to do the wrap:
From: rockstarenergy1z1@hotmail.com
To: rockstarenergy1z1@hotmail.com
Subject: ROCKSTAR / PAYMENT INSTRUCTION
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2015 14:52:21 +0000
This is to inform you that adequate arrangements have been made for your car to be wrapped. Payment to cover the cost of wrap was sent to you and will deliver this morning via USPS Courier Service.
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. Send me a scan or snap copy of the deposit slip issued to you at the bank via email, after you have deposited the check for record purposes. You are too black out your account number on the deposit slip before it’s sent over to us.
As soon as the cash is out you are to deduct $300.00 which is your upfront payment and forward the balance ($2,699.30) to the graphic artist head office in China that will be wrapping the decal on your vehicle via WESTERN UNION Transfer and they will be responsible for removing the decal when the program is completed. Please visit http://www.westernunion.com to check agent location close to you and make transfer through them. Transfer charges/cost ($18.00) will be deducted from $2,699.30 after you must have taken your $300.00 weekly.
Here is the graphic artist Western Union transfer information which will be filled on the Western Union transfer form at the agent location:
NAME: HUANXIA DU
ADDRESS: 1 Jianguomenwai Avenue
CITY: BEIJING
STATE: BEIJING
COUNTRY: CHINA
NB: Once you have the money transferred. Email or text me sender’s name, reference number and exact amount sent as you have it on receipt of transfer.
FAQ:
-Why am I sending money to China?
The head office of the graphic artist is China. In addition, the decal wraps are produced and manufactured in China. Cost of sending to china is less than sending within the state that is why they prefer all funds directed to there head office (China). As soon as payment is acknowledged by them, a local person (graphic artist) in your zip code will come to your house and install the decal wrap on your car. He will come along with the contract and all other document including preview pictures on how your vehicle will look when installed.
-How do I receive subsequent payment?
Payments will be mailed to you address weekly once the wrap is installed on your vehicle.
It is important you let me know as soon as the check is deposited so it can be processed from our bank.
If you require additional information, do not hesitate to email or call me. Acknowledge receipt of this email immediately and looking forward to your mail with further updates.
Best regards,
Sean Bendi,
478-377-4389
Hiring Manager
Rockstar Energy Drink
I found your posting after I received an email from a Rockstar Energy Drinks about the car wrap. I thought it was a scam, but figured I would play along to see what would come of it. So, I applied. Earlier this week, I received this email,
Dear Applicant,
Here is a confirmation that your application has been approved. A check will be sent to you with your upfront payment and email will also be sent with payment instruction. You are advised to check your email regularly as we will be getting back to you shortly. Thanks for your willingness to work with us. Acknowledge receipt of this email.
NB: IT’S IMPORTANT YOU REPLY BACK TO THIS EMAIL SO AS TO CONFIRM YOUR APPLICATION.
Best regards,
Christopher Hernandez,
Hiring Manager,
Rockstar Energy Drink.
I didn’t reply to this email, because between signing up and waiting I had time to think. I decided I didn’t want to waste my time on something that I knew would generate no good results. I figured I would let it go and if he did not hear back from me, nothing would happen. Well, I was wrong. They are a persistent lot. A few days after getting this email, and not responding, I received this one;
Dear Applicant,
Information reaching me this morning has it that you will be receiving the check today. The check of $2,730.00 has been sent to you via USPS will be deliver between today or tomorrow. Tracking information/number of payment can be sent if required.
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 ($2,430.00) to the graphic artist head office in China that will be wrapping the decal on your vehicle via western union transfer and they will be responsible for removing the decal when the program is completed. Please visit http://www.westernunion.com to check agent location close to you and make transfer through them. Transfer charges/cost ($18.00) will be deducted from $2,430.00 after you must have taken your $300.00 weekly.
Here is the graphic artist western union transfer information which will be filled on the western union transfer form at the agent location:
NAME: WEIJIAN ZHANG
ADDRESS: 1 Jianguomenwai Avenue
CITY: BEIJING
STATE: BEIJING
COUNTRY: CHINA
Email: fanliu@graphic-designer.com
NB: Once you have the money transferred. Email or text me sender’s name, MTCN number and exact amount sent as you have it on receipt of transfer.
FAQ:
-Why am I sending money to China?
The head office of the graphic artist is China. In addition, the decal wraps are produced and manufactured in China. Cost of sending to china is less than sending within the state that is why they prefer all funds directed to there head office (China). As soon as payment is acknowledged by them, a local person (graphic artist) in your zip code will come to your house and install the decal wrap on your car. He will come along with the contract and all other document including preview pictures on how your vehicle will look when installed.
-How do I receive subsequent payment?
Payments will be mailed to you address weekly once the wrap is installed on your vehicle.
It is important you let me know as soon as the check is deposited so it can be processed from our bank.
If you require additional information, do not hesitate to email or call me. Acknowledge receipt of this email immediately and looking forward to your mail with further updates.
Best regards,
Christopher Hernandez,
631-403-2404
Hiring Manager
Rockstar Energy Drink.
Now, this one tells me they are sending me money, regardless of whether or not I actually wanted it. Of course, the idea of getting a check in the mail, to see if it was a fraud or not, was compelling. So, I did reply to him this time, as I waited for the check to come. This is what I told Christopher;
Mr. Hernandez,
I will be happy to let you know as soon as I receive the check in the mail. However, I must let you know that I have read about scams dealing with exactly this using Rockstar Energy as the company. I’m sure you are aware that scams are not hard to uncover with the use of the internet. I am telling you this because I am wary. I have no problem allowing for advertising on my vehicle, but I will not allow anyone access to my account information or put me in a financial bind because they want a cheap and illegal way of doing whatever they intend to do with the money.
If I discover this is a scam I will report it to the local authorities and blast it all over the internet to warn others of it.
However, once I receive it I will let you know all the rest aside.
I made sure to explain my intentions. Naturally I have not heard back from Christopher. But I did get the check in the mail today. I did not take a picture of it, because I didn’t think of it being I was shocked who the check was from. It was a cashier’s check written on a State Employee’s Credit Union. Now, fate is funny, because I happen to be a member of SECU. So, I took it to my bank. I told the lady what I did and I wanted to know if the check was legit and she said it was not. She said it was not a check they issued. Then she told me that she would have to hold the check. Of course I allowed her. I also broke out my emails and gave her the information about who sent it to me and where it came from. The funny thing though, is the address on the check, under the bank’s name, was from one in High Point, NC. These people did a better job trying to make it look legit. However, the one thing I noticed when I looked at the numbers at the bottom of the check were that 1. the routing number was correct, but 2. the account number had like two more numbers than it was supposed to. I can’t imagine my account would have x numbers, while another one has z numbers. Doesn’t make sense.
So, not only did I give the bank his information, but I also reported it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center or IC3. I am sharing my story here, because I want to do my part in helping others not get scammed by these seemingly legit jobs as well.
This information was very helpful. i saw an add on Craigslist (NewOrleans) This is another car wrap scammer.
Opus One Winery Wrap Advertisemsent
They sent me a check by UPS
From:
Mike Barger
(762)333-2320
Mike Barger
242 Opal Ct
Windsor Co 80550
The $2,660.00 check they sent me have these addresses on it:
PPM Collections Italy Inc.
1855 Griffins Rd C-202
Dani Beach, Fl 3304
The phone number that contacted me is (213)788-9155
While typing this i was texting the number above.
I told them that i deposit the check into my account but the bank teller told me that it will take 1-2 days to clear. they text back, WHAT? and ask me if i can send the dealer $500 because he can’t wait any longer. I told them that my bank(Regions) sent the police to my house and I was going to jail. What should I do? Thats when they told me that i wasn’t going to jail they should go to Indian.. Haha
I just deposited the check into a Walmart debit card and middle maned it, keeping all the $2500 and blocked the texters. Easy way to get a new TV.
I was thinking about doing something like that, but wow, that didn’t occur to me. Nice way to scam the scammers.
Will you not have to pay Walmart back the money?
Have you had any problems with your walmart card? Have you been charged yet?
This is shocking to hear people experience this !! In 15 years have never experienced such a thing. By no means do not ever ever fall for this type of thing. #1- an individual should never be the one paying a company to create a third party ad when they are the ones driving the third party ad around. This would be done by a legitimate advertising company, and no third party individual would ever be involved #2- there are legitimate programs out there where contracts and specific terms are involved. If anyone wants to advertise their own business, such as a restaurant, plumber, contractor, dog washer, caterer, clothing store, accounting firm, hvac company, or any other business, they will hire their own company to do this type of advertising work for them. For example, WrapAds has been installing car wraps under contracts with businesses legitimately for 15 years all over the usa. There are plenty of other companies out there. Karma will have at it with people who try other ways…
Thanks for this website; I was about to respond to pressea.campaigns@hotmail.com for the so-called ‘car wrap’ for
$1200/week.’Dave Martins’is the name of the salesperson.
His wording is close to others you’ve posted, “kindly” do this, “kindly” do that, and so on.
I replied to a very descriptive ad for a part-time animal care giver. Luckily for me I do not have my address listed on my resume because the next day I received an email almost identical to the one in the blog from Monster Energy drink. I was actually annoyed and replied that “while the position sounded good and I would actually consider doing something like that as long as it did not cause damage to my car his intentionally misleading job posting did not instill confidence in me about his honesty” I never heard back and flagged the ad as spam.
We first wrote this blog article in October 2013. It’s saved tens of thousands of people from sending away millions of dollars to oversea scammers.
Since the time of publication, I’ve received a number of emails asking if there are legitimate ways to make extra money. We’ve been reviewing programs and their claims here at I’ve Tried That since 2007. Here are the two best programs we’ve found.
1. If you’re looking to add a few bucks here and there to your monthly income, there’s no better way than through SwagBucks. It’s free to join, easy to earn, and one of the best programs out there. Highly recommended for some spare-time online earnings.
Read our full review of SwagBucks here:
https://ivetriedthat.com/swagbucks-review/#
2. If you’re more interested in building a business online that can generate a sustainable income to supplement or even replace your normal income, Internet Marketing is the way to go and Wealthy Affiliate is the best training platform to learn. They’ve recently allowed people to join for free so you can experience the training, support, and community at no cost. The training there is what helped me build my full-time income online.
Read my full review of Wealthy Affiliate here:
https://ivetriedthat.com/three-things/#
Hope this clears some things up!
-Steve
Owner of I’ve Tried That
Thank you for posting and your efforts in general. Why didn’t you contact the authorities?
I was just involved in one of these scams. Here’s one of the e-mails and his information
Your start-up check has been mailed to you via US Postal Service. Amount is $3800 as stated earlier. You should get it between today/tomorrow. Send me an email or text once you get the check, then proceed to your bank to deposit the check.
Funds will be available for withdrawal within 24/48 hours of depositing the check. As soon as the funds becomes available in your account, kindly withdraw the funds and deduct your start-up fee of $400. The balance is to be sent via Money Gram/Western Union to the decal specialist. They will contact you to schedule an appointment on when to come over to your location to wrap your vehicle as soon as the funds has been received. The Money Gram/Western Union fee is to be deducted from the part being sent to the specialist, so you have your $400.
You are required to acknowledge the receipt of this email and you understand your task. The Specialist’s Money Gram/Western Union details will be sent to you on receipt of your acknowledgement. I await your response. Thanks
Steve Walis,
T&W Advertising Agency
105 13th St
Columbus, GA 31901
(800) 211-9530
(706) 426-4742
So instead of going to my bank I went to the bank they supposedly had an account with and spoke with a manager about the check. They took the check and I gave them my E-mails. Hopefully they catch this guy.
I am glad I found out more about this from here.
It wasn’t easy to google if it was a scam or legit.
I got this email:
“We are pleased to confirm your status as our brand representative. A payment package will be mailed out to you in the next business day or two.The payment will include your compensation for the ad run and that of the decal specialist which has to be transferred. Kindly specify the time convenient enough for you to have your car wrapped, do acknowledge you have received this email and and we will be in touch with further updates at the best time possible.
Many Thanks,
Dean Anderson
Hiring Manager,
Gulf Oil®”
I got suspicious with “payment package”,
“has to be transferred”,
“received this email and and we will be in touch”
Really looked shady.
Hopefully this will help someone.
Hey, all we need to do is to get 30,000 people signed up on his monster energy, make him print and mail all of these checks, it cost him about $30 to print and mail them, so if 30,000 people don’t cash those checks, he is out $900,000……
Got some folks supposedly from Sanpellegrino Water sending me emails right now with the same exact script as the original post. I just asked them for a corporate number to call. They sent me 234-228-7934. I’m at work, so I don’t have time to play a few games with them, lol.
I think I have noticed, anytime you get an unsolicited email and it begins with “Kindly”- it’s a scam!!
I too replied to a bogus email (Jan 23, 2015) offering $300 per week to wrap a vehicle for Red Rain energy drink. The marketing company is very slick as deception is a powerful thing when people need a pay-check. The check was mailed to me from Texas, the bank was listed in Ohio and the telephone number is located in Miami Florida. I called the bank who issued the cashiers check, I was told to “Shred the Check” it is a fake. I called the Attorney General in my state and was given a number for the FTC who took my fraud complaint. Today, (March 6, 2015) I get the same type of email advertizing the same SCAM with Mountain Dew. I sent a Tweet to @MountainDew informing them of the scam involving their brand name.
Here are a few clues that identify this promotion is B.S.
1- The email is a free service and not from a company domain (gmail, hotmail etc).
2- The mailing label is NOT PROFESSIONAL and printed on a piece of paper, not self adhesive like a high volume business would use.
3- NO CONTRACT was ever sent out before the check was issued as to the terms of your duties and responsibility for accepting money.
4- Any ligament business would pay the graphics company directly and not demand you (the client) to wire money back to the scammer or company.
I got one the other day and they are telling me they are going to turn me over to the feds and local police because I have not cashed the check, I told them I wasn going to cash and sent it back no response
I got $2750.10 PNC Bank Casher’s Check.
Company Information:
David Brodis
Adsoncars Mobile Advertising Inc
611 N Julia St
Jacksonville, FL 32202
Phone: 813 644-2572
Email: contact@adsoncars.us
I was looking for a new job and found the ad on Indeed website. This is the letter I received:
Good day,
Thanks for your continued interest in our Monster Energy Drink paid-to-drive promotional campaign, and also for providing answers to all our questions. You satisfied our criteria.
We wish to inform you, that you have been selected to participate in our Monster Energy Drink promotional paid-to-drive campaign. Your participation would commence after the sides and hood of your vehicle has been covered with the removable monster energy decals. You would be paid $300 weekly during the duration of this campaign.
The monster energy decal-wrap of your vehicle would be handled by a specialist who would visit your location for the installation. As previously stated, installation averages between 10 and 15 minutes. At the end of the campaign, the specialist would be dispatched to your location again, to remove the decals from your vehicle, restoring it to its original state. This is a straightforward process. The decals are adhesive, made of vinyl specifically used for cars.
They simply peel off without harming the paint of your vehicle.
To get started, we would send a letter to you and a check to cover your first-week promotional drive campaign and the cost of the decal installation in your location. Subsequent payment checks would be mailed to you at the end of each week during the duration of the campaign.
Please note; You must have Bank Account. After receiving your first check, you should deposit it into your checking account. When the funds become available, you should deduct your advance pay of $300. The letter would contain instructions on how the balance should be sent to the specialist for the decal installation.
If you are in agreement with this, please provide your mailing address and a phone number for this purpose.Do kindky send the details as below…..
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY,STATE,ZIPCODE
TEL:
Finally, we congratulate you and welcome you aboard our Monster Energy Drink promotional paid-to-drive campaign.
We look forward to hearing from you Soonest
Regards
JEFFREY ANDERSON
I’m so glad I found this website.THANKS!
The company is different but everything else is the same. I found an ad on craigslist for AT&T logo on my truck for $500 a week. I am really glad that I found this website. I guess it is good to be kind of permanently paranoid. Thank you to everybody for this post.
I believe Im getting scammed. Just received the check via usps. I was about to deposit it into my account but looked it up first. It was sent from Tulsa, OK. The banks name is legit & based in Birmingham, AL. I forwarded all the blogs to them and I’m waiting for reassurance (not holding my breath) Im so disappointed
@Sean Simms – If you have already cashed the check – DO NOT send any money to the scammers.
Leave the money in your account because the bank will “undo” the check eventually.
You need to be very careful with what you say to anyone – your bank or the police – as many people in the USA will end up getting arrested for cashing fake checks. Seek legal advice and failing that, SAY NOTHING.
Print off copies of every email you were sent by the scammers. Print off copies of every email you sent them. Collate them in order, in case you need them later.
Do not reply any further to the scammers. They will try to get you to reply, they will send you threats and say they will report you to the FBI etc – they will not, so just ignore all that. But be aware, they will pass on your email address to their scammer friends, so keep one important point in mind –
NO MONEY IS COMING TO YOU AS A SURPRISE VIA YOUR EMAIL INBOX.
Any email which claims money will be coming to you is 100% going to be a scam.
If anyone has further questions re what they should do, you can contact me directly via the contact page on my website. I’m sorry, I don’t have any way here to reach those of you who are commenting personally via email, though I would if I could. :)
FYI you can visit my site by clicking on my name. :)
This was very helpful the rockstar scammers almost got me I’m glad I read this it sounded too good to be true now I know it is it’s sad that people do this kind of stuff to good people
Has anyone noticed that in the Monster energy ad they have on CL,, where it says compensation– says no pay. I saw 2 adds and they both said “no pay”. Big red flag.
I got saranac ale and the person who sent it was Nicole Ruby
I just received one…..Mine was signed by Sharon Fortune…..lol good one!
I got a check for $1950 from Sharon Fortune. It was drawn on Wells Fargo Bank in ID and came from Textbook Recycling in ID. When I contacted both the bank and company, they confirmed the check was fraudulent, and I tore up the check as they recommended. Now Sharon Fortune is sending threatening emails saying she reported me to the police and FBI. What to do? I have been deleting her emails.
Currently in transaction with a man named Dave Martins (or Dave Matins from his email signature) from Kirene Groupe LCC. wrapping cars for Pressea Juice. Which btw is a juice company in Senegal. Offering $300/wk with the same pattern and cues as what you stated above (2400$ cheque for first payment advance + money for decal artist). I was 99% sure it’s a scam, now after calling the number on his signature (512-649-7536) I’m 99.99998% sure it’s a scam. Thanks for the read!
Just an update – got a check in the mail for almost $5000, from “Credit Valley Hospital” in Missisauga, and a letter repeatedly telling me not to “make use” of the check before contacting the guy. Which is now “Jim” Martin.
Michael – I do not recommend that you bait these scammers, they know all your information because you gave it to them. There are some Nigerian 419 scammers in the USA – they are not all in Nigeria. Please do not put yourself or your family at risk in this manner.
DO NOT reply to any more of their emails. They will keep sending them to you and they will keep trying to get you to reply, they might even threaten you with the FBI etc. Do not respond. If you do get sick of receiving the emails, simply reply that your bank, the FBI and the Secret Service have told you this is a scam and that you do not want to hear from them anymore.
When you receive the check you will want to try and contact the company or person whose name is on it and advise them their bank details have been compromised and people are writing fake checks on their account.
If you don’t want to do that, visit my blog and send me an email with a photo of the check and I will try to contact them.
That goes for anyone reading this. :)
Cheers,
Snoskred
http://www.snoskred.org
JUST ANSWER AN ADD FROM CRAIGSLIST FROM A BLUEBFH@GMAIL.COM FOR MONSTER ENERGY WRAP. MY WIFE GOOGLE THIS BUT GAVE MY NAME AND ADDRESS AND 411 TO THEM SO NOW WILL WAIT FOR THE CHECK AND BAIT WITH THEM. SO THANKFUL FOR THIS POST TEXT NUMBER HE TEXT ME WAS 404-600-7658
Someone just appeared on a facebook group I am a member of and advertised this scam. The email address they were using was pepsi6973@gmail.com and I am putting it here in the hope anyone who might find an ad with that address can google and see this page.
I responded to a Craigslist ad and got a Monster Energy Wrap offer from Susan Lee…
Hi I was sent the same thing from a David Wilkerson. I believe that is David Christians new name. His number now is 817 523 8959. When the check arrives I will take it to the Yucaipa Police Station thank you for informing me.
I just received a cashier’s check in the mail today from a “hiring manager agent” from Rockstar advertisement. The “agent” gave me instructions on my phone to send a money order to Miami Florida and that I don’t have to fill the money order out, just leave it blank. the cashiers check is from Patelco credit union in San Francisco. I googled the bank and also the address. There is no such bank at that address. Then I googled just the address and it came up located at a business building with no signs. I then looked up the name and address in Miami, Florida. No such business. I looked up just the address and came up a residential neighborhood that has no businesses around. The house is like a one bedroom house. And the street is trashed with paper. What should I do?I I’m sure I’ll be hearing back from the “agent” soon.
Susan, you must not touch the funds for more then 45 days! I would wait a year! Please read below!
What “Clear” really means:
“The check has cleared” does not mean the money in your account belongs to you. It only means that the clearing house has not sent the draft back for non-sufficient funds, closed account, or flag instructions on the account. It does not mean the draft was written by the account holder.
Depending on the size or purpose of the account, the account holder may not notice the absence of funds for several days after the draft has reached his bank. In fact, an account holder may have up to one full year to report an unauthorized draft.
Bank statements are usually sent out on the 1st or 15th of the month. If the transaction took place near one of those dates, the account holder may be unaware of the unauthorized transaction until statements are sent out the following month and time is taken to balance the statement.
What “Available funds” really means:
“Available funds” does not mean the money in your account belongs to you, even if a hold has been taken off the draft.
When you deposit a check into your bank account, your bank advances you the money for that check to keep the wheels of commerce moving. Of the millions and millions of checks processed every day, a relatively small number are returned because of a problem; because of this, banks and credit unions must automatically credit depositor accounts within a certain number of days.
A bank or credit union can make an exception to the rule and wait for a longer period of time on any given deposit before crediting the depositor account, but apart from such an exception the credit is automatic.
This credit to your account is called a “provisional loan” and is actually a no-signature loan from your bank to you. It does not mean that your bank has been credited by the account holder bank.
The only time the money in your account really belongs to you is when the check or money order has been HONORED, meaning your bank has been credited (paid) by the account holder bank.
ALWAYS ask your bank if the draft has been honored and DO NOT TOUCH THE MONEY until it has.
When in doubt about a draft, tell your bank to send the draft for COLLECTION.
Some banks are starting to use the terms “The check is pending” when the money has been deposited into the account, but the check has not yet been honored.
Sending a draft for Collection:
When you send a draft for Collection, it means that your bank or credit union will not put any money in your account until the draft has been paid, i.e. your bank has received the credit from the account holder bank.
Your bank or credit union will charge you a fee and give you an approximate time before the draft is honored. This time period may be as long as 6 to 8 weeks depending on the location of the account holder bank.
Some banks and credit unions will provide the collection service even if you do not have an account with them, so long as you pay the service charge.
What do I do if I already cashed the check?
I am currently being scammed by someone using a Monster Energy Drink wrap as their bait. My spouse is about to kick me as he cannot understand why I don’t see it as a scam. From reading all the information above, I’ll leave the funds within my bank to be certain I don’t get hit with unnecessary bank charges for a bad check. If they need to pull it out, I will not have touched it. I’ll be trying to call the phone number included with the email to determine what they have to say. Thank you to all the folks that have added their comments to the above article.
They sent me check for $1950.95 and told me to wait for more instructions and its to wrap the car and the ad was pepsiprom8.com hiring manager name is Brain Johnson that contacted me the check was headed bank of America but I don’t think it real either I didn’t feel right about it .
Here is another scam! This is from a scammer which I have successfully baited. I found this scam on Craigslist.
Subject: Re: cleaning
From: raymond willson
To: techfan
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Your response was received and reviewed by our Human
Resourcedepartment,you have been offered a job with our company as
thePersonal assistant to the manager. In regard to these,they are
fewthings i want you to know about our company.Our Mission is to offer
a warm, memorable hospitality experience,the manager Mrs Sara
Fotune,Mrs Sara is a consultant at Adecco, focusing on Sales &
Marketing function in Retail industry.We also contribute back to our
community through our CSR,Help the lessfortunate,Orphange, e.t.c…..
Mrs Sara travels alot and gets pretty occupied because he manages
vitually all of our branches both home and abroad. As a result of
this, it is imperative for him to have a worthy assistant who can
monitor and keep him up to date with his activities. This position is
flexible and you can be in any location; working with him is basically
about instructions and following them. He is looking for someone that
is indispensably trustworthy, accountable and reliable to work with,an
individual with sound understanding.We are establishing a new office
location close to you soon and your service with this new team we hold
in high anticipation. This position is at the moment a part-time
position and it is flexible. It will become a full-time position upon
the establishment of the said office in place.your services will be
needed 2-3 times weekly which should be about 10-12 hours weekly with
wage of $350 per week.After answering some interview questions for
your convenience such as:
1. Have you ever work in a position like this?
2. How do we know you are going to cope with the services stated above?
3. Years of experience in your previous job?
4. How often do you check your mail to ensure that you will be relied
upon when needed?
5. How can we trust you with our funds?
6. are you okay with receiving assignments via emails, texts and phone?
7. what do you suppose will make the execution of your assignments
easier, faster and more efficient?
After all these have been reviewed, you are to work with him and
receive a Pay check from our bank,or you send us your full bank
information,so in which you are to deduct your (Renumeration) wage and
get the remaining money to an Orphanage Agent address that will be
given to you by the manager himself in acknowledgement of our
responsibility as a good corporate citizen in contributing some of our
resources back to our communities with our CSR Initiative Program.
Officially, we should ask for a legal form of ID at this point,
however, kindly do RE-CONFIRM your contact details as shown on your
Resume. This goes into our database and it will also enable us help
you proceed to your First Assignment. Here are some duties and
requirement that is needed from you
– Must have a sound working relationship.
– Must be able to operate through the computer and phone as instructed.
– Must always be reachable on phone and by email.
– Must possess a Judicious handling of financial activities.
– Sending emails, booking of flights, Scheduling appointments etc.
– Timely response and accurate updates on assignment is very important
Contact Information
First Name:
Last Name:
Address(P.O box not allowed):
Apt #:
City:
State:
Zip Code:
Mobile (For SMS):
Once he has received your contact information,or your full bank
information for payment,he will get back to you with your
assignments.Your information is Safe and will not be shared.
Send your reply with the Title: PERSONAL ASSISTANT POSITION to:
raymondwillson2@gmail.com
HRM DEPARTMENT
The Grand Del Mar HOTELS
On 12/21/14, techfan wrote:
> Please email me more information!
> John Baiter
> teckfan35@gmail.com
> WE ARE NOW FILLING 18 CARPET CLEANING POSITIONS ASAP. WE HAVE COMPANY
> VEHICLES AND ARE READY TO HIRE! $750.00/Wk. PER CO.
>
> – Principals only. Recruiters, please don’t contact this job poster.
> – do NOT contact us with unsolicited services or offers
>
> post id: 4769787636
>
> http://victoriatx.craigslist.org/fbh/4769787636.html
Just responded to my full throttle “” check texts/calls/emails w this…
Automatic Message: you’ve been blocked due to the following serious federal law violations with multiple felony charges; including but not limited to;
Identity theft, false advertising, forging and falsifying legal banking documents, attempting to victimize a federal government employee, USPS policy violation and abuse.
Immediately discontinue any further attempts to contact or “scam” any other individuals.
A craigslist scammer emailed me this!
Delivered-To: teckfan35@gmail.com
Received: by 10.194.95.5 with SMTP id dg5csp1787985wjb;
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Return-Path:
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Thu, 15 Jan 2015 07:06:30 +0300
From: Mathew Longs
To: teckfan35@gmail.com
In-Reply-To:
References:
Subject: Re: housekeeper
MIME-Version: 1.0
Message-Id:
Hello
I am glad to tell you that i am okay with your interest as regards the Cleaner job,also for accepting the offer.I have contacted my wife concerning the job and for other purpose which she might need you for,which she told me is okay by her,i believe you are fit for this position in as much you will prove yourself a reliable and good person.
Am Mathew Longs and am happily married to a lovely wife Mrs Sarah Longs, We have two kids ages 10&6years and we are expecting another baby because my wife is pregnant. We are relocating to the City from Scotland, I will be coming there to work on contract basis with United States Environmental Protection Agency on a private research work.We need someone who could help in cleaning our new apartment 3time’s weekly.You will be working 4 hour a day at your convenient time and we will be offering you $450 Weekly,I hope 4 hours is enough to clean a 3 bedroom house with one master bedroom and two standard size rooms, with One Living room and a kitchen as well. I believe you are fit for this position in as much you will prove yourself to be a reliable and hard working person,Our arrival date would be 13th of February. You will start working on same day.You will help us to clean the apartment in the morning of our arrival date,I will tell the estate agent to mail the keys to the apartment to you so that you can be able to clean it on the day before we arrive. I want to know if there’s any equipment that you will need me to provide, if there’s any let me know how much it will cost, I will be spending about 3years for the contract job, so we will be needing your services for that time as well if am satisfied with the services you rendered. We have a financier that is based in the states and he will be handling the payment and some other expenses,he will be the one that will be taking care of your payment, I will instruct him to pay for the first two weeks before our arrival so as to secure your service, actually i should have paid for more weeks but i will extend the payment if am satisfy with your service after the two weeks. So my financier would be needing the following Information to make out the check
Name to be on Check
Physical Address
City
State
Zip code
Phone numbers
Did you accept our offer?
I know you will be committed to the work,You will also have a nice period of working with us and you are welcome to our family , I will be waiting to hear from you
Regards,
Mr Longs
mathewlongs@yandex.com
There is more you can do to slow them down! You can bait them!
Martin Bacon
Hiring Manager
FULLTHROTTLE Energy Drink
fullthrottleenergydrink85@gmail.com
339.234.6796
…check should be here tomorrow…SO thankful to have found this! Wish there was more that could be done to stop these creeps…
In addition to the Car Wrap scam I have found a similar one in Craigslist GIG’s. The posts will vary but one example was for Landscaping. When you sent an email about the job you got back an email with the same old “I have a situation” where they will send you a BIG check for deposit and then you send back the balance (I didn’t reply back). Kind of sad since I was just looking to WORK for a few extra bucks and end up dealing with these criminals.
I found a posting like this as well i received the package from them today but have not yet opened it. When I was getting a txt message (for Monster Energy) asking about the money and all. I flat out told her it was a scam & that i was going to rip up the check. She said after that if I do she will contact the FBI & CIA.
DUE TO ANOTHER SCAM! That i was involved in with laundering money for a ”man in the military’. I was transferring money through Western Union for him. After the first day of doing this I didn’t feel right and I went to my sherif’s department and filed a police report. I now have to contact the FBI. I ALSO CLOSED AND REOPENED all my bank and credit cards for different numbers. Im also blocking my Social Security number as well.
But, due to both of these, after this ‘lady’ threatened me about the FBI. I told her I’m already involved with the FBI. Shortly after arguing with her about giving me the name of the company, address etc. she told me it would be on the check and more information with it. I kept saying that your ignoring my questions.
My concern is that they have my address.. I don’t know what to do about that..
Just got contacted by collinsredford@outlook.com
for a Zombie Beer Logo Car wrap. Everything else is the same MO. $300 a week and so on….I’m so glad I checked into this!
I received this email a couple of day’s ago and actually went along with it until I googled it. so here are the emails I received going backwards to the very first email. I copied and pasted below I also edited my personal info
martin thompson
11:27 AM (1 hour ago)
to me
yes you will get instructions on that.
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 13:36:06 -0500
Subject: RE: response asap
From: mdubxxxxxx@xxxxx.com
To: crunksenergy@outlook.com
Ok great. Now with the payment will there be instructions on how to go about getting the decal put on my vehicle?
On Jan 23, 2015 1:21 PM, “martin thompson” wrote:
I want you to know that the payment would be mailed out to you asap,i will get you informed once i get the payment sent.Thanks
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 10:48:04 -0500
Subject: Re: response asap
From: mdubuxxxxx@xxxxx.com
To: crunksenergy@outlook.com
Let me know if these pictures are OK.
Thank you
Michelle xxxxx
On Jan 23, 2015 8:06 AM, “martin thompson” wrote:
Thanks for getting back with your information as requested for,i will like to know if you can take a picture of the car and scan it to my email.So i can put it here in record.We would proceed with the job by mailing you the payment via check.The check is going to include your weekly payment and the payment for the decal/graphic expert,i will let you know once i mail out the check.I would like to know how often you drive your car.And what do you do for a living?feel free to ask any question as I am here to answer.Thanks and hope to read from you asap
Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 17:58:57 -0500
Subject: Re: response asap
From: mdubuxxxx@xxxx.com
To: crunksenergy@outlook.com
Michelle xxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx, R.I 02861
401-215-xxxx
Age=34
2008 Toyota Yaris
On Jan 21, 2015 12:08 PM, “martin thompson” wrote:
Thanks for the quick response we are pleased to confirm your status as our brand representative.Your payment will include your compensation for the ad run which is $450 and that of the decal specialist which has to be transferred. Note that the wrapping of the car will be done at your residence and does not take long and you could be present while the wrap is done.Do acknowledge you have received this email and we will be in touch with further updates at the best time possible
You will be paid with $450 per week which is essentially a “rental” payment for letting our company use the space.No fee is required from you, Crunk Energy Drink shall provide experts that would handle the advert placing on your car. Adequate arrangements will be made as regards payment prior to making the ad visible on your car.It is very easy and simple with no application fees required , we look forward to reading from you soon. If the terms of the above works with you, do provide the information below:
Kindly Send us your details in mailing format
Full Name:,Gender:,Age:,Address:,Zip code:,City:,State:Phone number:,Car maker/year:
Kindly get back to us as soon as possible hope to hear from you.
Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 13:51:28 -0500
Subject: Re: wraps
From: mdubuc14xx@xxx.com
To: crunksenergy@outlook.com
Hello, I just received this awesome email about wrapping my car, I would love more information on this and how I get started.
Please contact me at 401-215-xxxx
Thank you
Michelle
On Jan 20, 2015 7:44 AM, “martin thompson” wrote:
Would You Wrap Your Car,truck,vehicle,bicycle with the eye-catching and impactful designs and get paid for $450 Weekly for Crunk Energy Drink
( USA Only ). Hiring manager……………Martin
Please Email for more information
GET CRUNK NOW!!
have a friend that owns a wrap shop – they can’t travel to you for starters – needs to be a clean and controlled environment.
Aside from that fact, we always need to question things such as: why do they mail you a check and then you pay the graphic designer of their choice? Why can’t they provide the graphics file to whomever YOU choose to have wrap your vehicle?
If they want it done by somebody specifically, they can pay them directly as there is no reason for them not to.
Typically real promotions along these lines would require x amount of visibility – driving x number of miles/ day – mileage logs to be recorded – sometimes even a certain path.
These promotions aren’t as common as they once were (at least the real ones) and have been replaced moreso by true mobile billboards.
Early signs of a fraudster – his stated name and the name on the email address don’t match. Email domain is anonymous – if it was legit, I’d expect a corporate domain, not hotmail, or yahoo or aol or something like that.
Seriously – unless you have a lot of time to kill, I’d just stop all contact and forward these things to your local PD and let them take it from there to federal and/ or postal inspectors.
this is what I have been dealing with since Dec. 13. The check is supposed to be in my mailbox when I get home. I will keep you posted.. Here is the email exchange. the scammers phone number is 310-307-2338.
Ryan Stafford claims to be deaf and dumb. But he can text you.
9405501699320039128198
Estimated Arrival:Not Available
Status:Delivered, In/At Mailbox (WEST COLUMBIA, TX 77486)
View Details
Hello Mike,
You need to deduct $500 for your first week payment.
Send $ 1000 to the information below through western union and another $1000 via money gram. he can pick up money than daily via western union and moneygram.
Edward Darby
El Cajon,CA 92020
Please email me the Mtcn and Reference number after sending the money so that Mr Edward can come fix your card next week.
Ryan.
On Fri, Jan 16, 2015 at 12:19 PM, Mike Lantz wrote:
I will get it when i get home from work tonight. Where do I need to go to get the wrap put on my car?
Mike
——————————————————————————–
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 11:30:45 -0800
Subject: Re: JOB OFFER IN YOUR AREA.
From: ryan.staford@gmail.com
To: mwlantz@hotmail.com
The check is 100% good. All you need to do is deposit the check and it would clear into your account with no problem.
Ryan.
On Fri, Jan 16, 2015 at 7:32 AM, Mike Lantz wrote:
Please assure me that this is not a scam. I don’t want to deposit it and then it get returned for being stolen or forged. My bank will be putting at least a 3 day hold on the check before funds will be available.
Mike
——————————————————————————–
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2015 07:27:53 -0800
Subject: Re: JOB OFFER IN YOUR AREA.
From: ryan.staford@gmail.com
To: mwlantz@hotmail.com
Good Day Mike ,
I hope my email find you well. I just check USPS website to track the status of the payment. It shows that it has been delivered to you today. (USPS TRACKING NO. : 9405501699320039128198 ). It’s a check of $3739.
Please kindly let me know once you have the check in your possession . You can make an ATM deposit at your bank , I am sure funds will be available in the next 24 hours if you do the express deposit.
You can let me know once you deposit the check via ATM . If your bank does not have ATM Deposit take it into the banking hall for deposit and please ask for an express/overnight deposit. It would be cleared into your account in the next 24 hours, Then you can deduct your deposit and kindly help me send the balance .
I will give you further instruction on how much you are to sent to the expert, where to send it to and how to send it.
Write me soon as you get the check deposited.
Ryan.
On Thu, Jan 15, 2015 at 7:19 AM, Mike Lantz wrote:
I have not seen the advance money yet. I will take $500 and send the rest to the wrap company.
Thousands of people will see my car everyday. i drive 45 miles to work and back everyday so many many people with see my Toms wrapped car.
Mike
——————————————————————————–
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 02:47:13 -0800
Subject: Re: JOB OFFER IN YOUR AREA.
From: ryan.staford@gmail.com
To: mwlantz@hotmail.com
Hello Mike,
Your sign in was acknowledged .
Keep in touch.
Ryan Stafford.
On Wed, Jan 14, 2015 at 11:42 AM, Mike Lantz wrote:
I have a 45 minute drive to work each day in the Houston area. Thousands of people with see my car on a daily basis.
Mike
——————————————————————————–
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2015 11:08:37 -0800
Subject: Re: JOB OFFER IN YOUR AREA.
From: ryan.staford@gmail.com
To: mwlantz@hotmail.com
Hello Mike,
I am sending this short note to you just to let you know that Our financial department has issued out your advance payment.
The payment would be delivered to you between now and Friday. Please watch out for USPS Delivery vans from tomorrow. I am waiting for your USPS tracking number, Once I have the tracking number I will email it to you.
Please take note : The check you are about to receive covers all expenses. You are required to deduct your first payment of $500 and send the balance to the experts coming to place the sticker on your car. The experts will make their way to you as soon as they confirm the payment from you.
Further instructions will be emailed to you for the transfer .
Also note that you are required to send an email every morning for me to know you are still ready for this job. You are required to send an email stating that you ” SIGNED IN ” with date and time . Example ( Ryan Stafford , Signed in on 1/14/2015 at 1:10 PM) .
I will expect to read from you before today runs out.
Keep in touch.
Ryan Stafford
Hiring Manager
TOMS.
On Tue, Jan 13, 2015 at 9:15 PM, Mike Lantz wrote:
Got your email. To confirm, I will be paid $500 per week for putting this ad on my car.
Thanks,
Mike Lantz
281-841-6112
——————————————————————————–
Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 16:26:40 -0800
Subject: Re: JOB OFFER IN YOUR AREA.
From: ry.stafford@blumail.org
To: mwlantz@hotmail.com
Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in advertising for our company. The information provided about your car model and exterior color gives us insight of the type, color and kind of car advertisement sticker that will be placed on your car.
We have forwarded your details to our experts and they will be visiting you soon to inspect your car and start with the wrap. This whole process will be funded by “Auto Wrap Advertising” so you’re not expected to pay any funds for this advert. Our financial department will issue a payment package to you, this will include your $500 advance payment for carrying this AD on your vehicle and you are required to send the balance to the experts coming for the placements on your car. The experts will make their way to you as soon as they confirm the payment from you. Further instructions will be emailed to you for the transfer.
However, If you’d like to discontinue after the duration of this placement, the specialist/expert shall come again to remove the advert placement on your car with no traces of ever placing a vinyl decals on your vehicle.
Please confirm the understanding of this message and reply if you’d like to proceed.
Thank you for your time.
Regards,
Ryan Stafford.
On Mon, Dec 22, 2014 at 10:51 PM, Mike Lantz wrote:
See my answers below
——————————————————————————–
Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 23:57:42 +0100
Subject: Re: JOB OFFER IN YOUR AREA.
From: ry.stafford@blumail.org
To: mwlantz@hotmail.com
Greetings from TOMS Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS.
Do you know?
There’s too much world to change to sit around making coffee. At TOMS our interns are driven and integral members of the TOMS family who work their tails off until the day they leave and are forever changed. We are using this media to inquire if you would like to be part of our family and assist us by Creating awareness and run a world-class fiscal site to support our Online Dept by simply driving your vehicle advertising for TOMS and this will help organize life-changing Giving Trips and much more. You will be important, essential, and you will create change in your world you can point to when you’re done.
How It Works?
Since you are given a tremendous amount of responsibility, we take your application very seriously. We look for candidates who are passionate about the services of TOMS. This is a program that will pay you $500 every weeks and a $500 advance payment for carrying this AD on your Car
TOMS Concept:
We seeks individual’s worldwide – regular citizens, professional drivers to go about their normal everyday routine as they usually do,only with a big advert for “TOMS”.
By this strategy we will definitely achieve lots of exposure and much more because this form of advertising will captive audience, meaning people who are stuck in traffic can’t avoid seeing the wrapped car alongside them. This program will last for 6 months and the minimum you can participate is two months.
If interested,please send me the information’s below.
First Name: Michael
Middle Name: William
Last Name: Lantz
Physical Address and not P.O Box: 200 Damon Dr #38
City: West Columbia
State TX
Zip code: 77486
Telephone numbers: 281-841-6112
Occupation Teacher
Make of car/year and color: 2013 Corolla Blue
No fee is required from you as TOMS will handle the advert placement on your car.
Kind Regards
Ryan Stafford
Hiring Manager
TOMS
On Tue, Dec 16, 2014 at 12:38 AM, Mike Lantz wrote:
yes I would.
Mike Lantz
> Subject: JOB OFFER IN YOUR AREA.
> To: ryanstafford@belg.net
> From: ryanstafford@belg.net
> Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 17:47:41 +0100
>
> Would You Wrap Your Car, Truck, Vehicle,
> Bicycle in an Ad for $500 Weekly for Toms?
> “( USA & Canada Only ) Hiring manager”
To best help, I had this happen, so I called the company the check was written on researched from the envelope the address which was a new housing developement , called the company went to accounting and put me through whom I needed to talk to I got there email and took a picture of the check and package it came in forward the emails and text so they can catch these people who are scamming people. would anyone love a few thousand dollars hell yes, but these scammers are preying like a spider to a fly on people in hard times.. It is no different than the years back mail a dollar for a prayer or send 5.00’s for a home get rich scam.. in caps not yelling .. TO ALL THAT GET A CHECK CALL THE COMPANY THE CHECK WAS WRITTEN ON AND LET THEM KNOW THE BANKS DON’T WORK TO HELP THEM . I was told by the company I gave them more information than what the bank or anyone could give them. I said well if I had cashed the check what would have happened had I just kept it all. Nothing. but, that is just as bad as the ones scamming it’s called thieft
This Scam is on CL now. I just got a “check” for $2300. the return address is from WA, the UPS package originated out of FL, the phone # is from TX and the “check” is from IL!!! Good times hahaha. Reporting all of this to our local police tonite.
Like I said, it is better to put their email in the spam box, because when you reply, they get your address and use it on their checks! any information they find on you is used to scam some one else.
The Feds and police will not do anything about these people. The airlines are the only ones taking action against them now by refusing to accept credit card payments from Somalia and Nigeria for tickets. Also when a Nigerian citizen is forced to pay with cash, an NSA red flag is raised on them. So they are watched (hopefully) while in our country. Even so, It is better to not respond to these ads, poking them or making them angry can be dangerous. They have access to fly anywhere they want using cash and a passport.
Don’t bother with trying to catch them since authorities are simply not interested in hearing you out. I tried to do the same thing by catching them red handed, but the fact is, they are out of reach. They operate in countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Nigeria, where this sort of thing is perfectly legal. They have call centers set up specifically to scam the UK and the U.S. out of as much money as possible. Top performers get Bonuses!!, like a salesman at a car dealership. I do not know if the centers are for their government funds or ran by private sectors. But I do know these are countries you never want to visit or have anything to do with. These have been some of the countries represented in movies about the Navy Seals, where they send Frog men in to attack certain secret targets. Otherwise, The U.S. is avoiding them like a plague. I do not understand why we have not considered to send some one in to attack these operations. For all we know, they could possibly be linked to a terrorist money source?
I got this email and next day a Check from Ecommerce with was not the Budweiser company.. Hello Stef ,
You information has been received, Below are some questions you need to answer before we can proceed.
How long do you intend to carry the advert on your car 1 month,2 months or 3 months?
Do you have a drivers license?
Do you use your car everyday?
Have you crashed a car between Jan 2010 till date?
Do you have an existing checking account where you will deposit your check for letting our company use your car? Also reconfirm your Name and address where your upfront payment should be mailed to along with your mobile and home number
Note you will receive a check from this the sum of $350 will be a two weeks up front payment for carrying the advert on your car and your would forward the balance to the expert who is going to handle the advert placing on your car.Also check your email every day to get updated as to when the upfront payment will arrive your place.I Need a personal phone number and a confirmation of your personal address of where you want your upfront payments and also the advert to arrive to .
Acknowledge receipt of this email immediately.
Kind Regards,
Daniel Graves
Hiring Manage
Thank you so much for posting this. I am sitting here with the same scam and check (this one for $1950 with Tab Energy). My gut told me it was a scam from the get go, but I was curious. I didn’t have to disclose any personal information that would allow them to steal my money, so I thought, what the heck! I have received emails and calls from Clark Longford, a marketing representative with Tab Energy. I asked lots of questions, which he answered but not very definitively and seemed uncertain about details. Our last correspondence was an email going out to him requesting more details. I never heard back. :( I will be contacting authorities after reading this. Thank you!
I tricked many scammers into giving me bank accounts! When they ask me to wire the funds by western union, Money Gram or by greendot cards or moneypaks, I either tell then I have to wait 20 days for the check to clear BOTH banks or I simply tell them I will only wire the funds by direct bank transfer. It works with maybe 40% of the scammers I am baiting. It worked with Daniel Price who is one of the scammers warned about on here! I then email the email with the account along with the headers and the email about the scam along with the headers and email them. Email me for more information on scam baiting.
Hi,
Fantastic posting! I received the same amount check, I felt that action was suspected and that check will be fake So I didn’t processed. One who sending a check before any confirmation of business offer, its a fake or scam.