Have you come across online ads promising quick and easy cash just by wrapping your car with advertisements for popular brands? These “Car Advert Programs,” often featuring logos of companies like Monster Energy, Red Bull, or Pepsi, might seem like a simple way to earn extra income. They typically suggest you just need to deposit a check, use a portion to pay a designated vendor for the car wrap, and then drive as usual while getting paid. However, before you jump at this seemingly effortless opportunity, be warned: it’s likely a scam, and the only one making easy money is the fraudster behind these enticing ads.
Spotting the Car Advert Program “Offer”
These deceptive “car advert program” offers can appear in various online spaces. You might encounter an advertisement on job boards or scroll past one on social media platforms. In some cases, you might even receive a direct message, perhaps because scammers found your profile or resume on a job-seeking website. These scams are designed to cast a wide net, hoping to lure in individuals seeking extra income.
How the Car Wrap Scam Unfolds
The initial message of a car advert program scam often promises a modest sum, perhaps a few hundred dollars, for participating. However, this is just the bait. The scam escalates when the “company” sends you a check, and surprisingly, it’s for a much larger amount than initially suggested – often thousands of dollars. They instruct you to deposit this check into your bank account, keep a portion as your payment, and then wire the remaining funds to a separate company they claim is responsible for wrapping your vehicle with the advertisements.
The trap snaps shut weeks later. The check you deposited bounces, and your bank informs you it was counterfeit. Suddenly, the “share” you thought was yours vanishes, and the money you wired is irretrievably lost. To make matters worse, you are now liable to your bank for the full amount of the fake check. And, as you might expect, no one ever shows up to wrap your car with advertisements. The promised “car advert program” and easy money were nothing but a mirage.
Recognizing a Car Wrap Scam: Red Flags to Watch For
The core warning sign of a car advert program scam is any message that instructs you to deposit a check and then wire money back or to a third party. This is a hallmark of fake check scams, regardless of the specific story or offer. Legitimate car advertising programs, or any legitimate business for that matter, would not operate this way. Think about it: if a real company wanted to wrap your car, wouldn’t they directly pay the car-wrapping vendor themselves, rather thanTasking you with handling the payment and wiring funds? This unusual request is a major red flag.
Have you been targeted by this car advert program scam? Protect yourself and others by reporting it. File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/. To further educate yourself on similar scams, explore resources on spotting fake checks (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0159-fake-checks) and money wiring scams (https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0090-using-money-transfer-services). Stay informed and stay safe from these deceptive schemes.
