Don't Fall For This Car Wrap Scam Promising You Easy Money

July 23, 2019

Have you received a message lately promising easy money if you wrap your car in an advertisement for Red Bull, Dr. Pepper or another company?

Don’t fall for it.

The Federal Trade Commission warns this is a scam, wrapped up in an advertising gimmick. While the message may seem like it comes from a legitimate company, in reality, it's just an attempt at wire fraud that could cost you hundreds (maybe even thousands) of dollars.

How the Car Wrap Scam Works

“The message says you’ll make a couple hundred bucks, but when the ‘company’ sends you a check, it’s for much more than that — a couple thousand dollars,” the FTC warns. “They tell you to deposit the check, keep part of it as your share, and wire the rest to another company that will wrap your car.”

There’s a big problem, however: the check is fraudulent, and the car wrap company doesn't exist. The check will bounce in a few weeks, and the money you wired out of your account to the supposed “car wrap company” will be gone forever. (Plus, don’t count on ever receiving the wrap for your car). 

Avoiding a Car Wrap Advertising Scam

Car wrap scammers will contact victims multiple ways, including through email, postal mail, phone calls and even social media platforms like Facebook. Often times, they will pose as representatives of legitimate companies like Budweiser or Gatorade.

However, any time you receive a message asking you to deposit a check and wire money back, it’s a scam. No matter what.

If you receive a message like this, don't respond. Instead, hang up or delete the message immediately; report it to the FTC and notify local law enforcement, along with your financial institution.

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