BBB urges people to be wary of promises of easy money in vehicle wrap schemes

A flurry of inquiries to Better Business Bureau (BBB) about vehicle wrap offers has prompted a warning for consumers considering the promotions.

The jobs, which claim easy money and are usually connected to popular soft drink, energy drink or cellphone companies, are often fraudulent, and BBB suggests consumers use extreme caution when dealing with those offering the jobs. The “car wrap scam” has been active for several years and has been the focus of previous warnings by BBB and other agencies.

One woman told BBB she found a listing in a Facebook group about a job where she could be paid to put a popular energy drink’s logo on her vehicle. The woman said she would have been paid $400 a week for a six-month period to have the logo on her vehicle.

“I figured something was up because it seemed too good to be true,” she told BBB.

The woman said the company would only communicate with her via text message. She then received a check in the mail for $1,900. She was instructed to keep $400 for her first week’s wages and then send the rest of the money to a person who was to wrap her car with the logo. Fortunately, she did not cash the check. If she had gone through with the plan, she would have lost the $1,500 she would have sent back to the scammers.

The “car wrap scam” is a combination of two of the riskiest scams reported to BBB’s Scam Tracker (http://www.bbb.org/scamtracker) – an employment scam and a fake check scam.

BBB has received multiple reports about “car wrap scams” over the last month. While the majority of those who have reported the scam did not lose money, there have been some victims.

BBB offers the following tips for those contacted about vehicle wrap offers:

•Understand that offers, which includes a “fake” check, to advertise for a company by wrapping your vehicle with their ad is a scam. The check you receive may be counterfeit.

•Avoid sending money to someone you have not met face-to-face. Do not use a wire transfer, prepaid debit card or gift card to complete a transaction with a stranger.

•Beware of unsolicited emails, phone calls, texts or postal letters. These are usually scams.

•Don’t believe everything you see or hear. Scammers can fake caller ID numbers to make it seem like they are someone else. They also mimic official seals and other deals. Just because something looks official, it doesn’t mean that it is.

•Make sure to check other resources like BBB and your state’s attorney general’s office.

For more information on this or other popular scams, visit bbb.org.

Kelvin Collins is president & CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving the Fall Line Corridor, serving 77 counties in East Alabama, West Georgia, Southwest Georgia, Central Georgia, East Georgia and Western South Carolina. This tips column is provided through the local BBB and the International Association of Better Business Bureaus (IABBB). The Better Business Bureau sets standards for ethical business behavior, monitors compliance and helps consumers identify trustworthy businesses. Questions or complaints about a specific company or charity should be referred directly to the BBB at Phone: 1-800-763-4222, Web site: BBB.org or E-mail: info@centralgeorgia.bbb.org.

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