Car Wrap Advertising Scams: How they work
Scammers promise you easy money for putting an ad on your car, but it’s really a trick to steal your money. They send you a message saying a big company—like Coca-Cola or Red Bull—wants to pay you hundreds of dollars a week just for driving your car with an advertisement.
If you show interest, they send you a fake check and tell you to deposit it. They say part of the money is your first payment, and the rest should go to a “decal installer” to put the ad on your car. At first, your bank might show the money in your account. But after a few days, the check bounces, and the bank takes the money back. If you already sent money to the “installer,” you lose that money for good—and the scammer disappears.
Below are examples of scam texts you might receive. If you see something like this, delete it and do not reply!
Car Wrap Advertising Scam
Example 1:
"Earn $700 weekly by placing a Coca-Cola decal on your car! We’ll send you a check—just deposit it and pay the installer. Your first paycheck arrives in days! Reply with your name and address to sign up."
Example 2:
"Want extra cash? Advertise for Pepsi on your car! We’ll send a check upfront—just deposit it and send a small amount to our graphic team for the wrap. Keep the rest as your pay! Limited spots available. Reply now."
Example 3:
"EASY MONEY! Earn $500 weekly by advertising Red Bull on your car. No experience needed! We’ll send you a check to cover installation—just deposit it and pay the wrap company. Sign up today before spots fill up!"
Scam Warning:
If you have to pay someone else first, it’s a scam! Real companies don’t pay upfront or ask you to send money. A real advertising company would handle everything directly—you wouldn’t need to send money.
Signs of a Car Wrap Scam
🚩 Fast, easy money for doing nothing – As stated before, real advertising companies don’t pay people this way.
🚩 They send a check upfront – Legitimate jobs don’t pay before work starts.
🚩 You have to send money – If they tell you to pay someone else first out of pocket, it’s a scam!
🚩 It comes from a random text or email – Real companies don’t find workers this way.
How to Stay Safe
✔ Never deposit a check from someone you don’t know
✔ Don’t send money back to a stranger, or use a stranger’s money to buy something from a website—real jobs don’t work that way
✔ If it sounds too good to be true, it’s probably a scam
✔ Check company websites & official emails—don’t trust random texts. Look up the company and contact them directly before confirming.
If you get a suspicious text like these, don’t reply! Just delete it or block the number.
If you already sent money, report the scam to the FTC (ftc.gov), IC3, or your local consumer protection agency.