I received an unsolicited text from (857) 303-4370, telling me to look at DrPepperSoftDrinks.com for information on how to receive $300.00 per week as payment for turning my car into a rolling advertisement for Dr. Pepper.

They state that the decal or vinyl wrap will be applied at their expense.

The website asks for very basic information: name, address, phone number, and name of bank, but does not ask for bank routing number nor my account number.

The phone number blocks incoming texts.

There's a scam here, but I can't figure out how it works.

Shit, usually people pay them to put stickers on their stuff, advertising products. I'll take $300 a week and let 'em do my ride up like in NASCAR.

This came up on a quick search:

quote:

Car wrap scam targets college students

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/b...ets-college-students

This is undoubtedly a scam in this instance, but I actually knew a guy in high school who did something similar. He and his Dad had restored an older sports car. Nothing too crazy, just something like a Camaro or Corvette. Gillette paid to have it wrapped, then paid him $X per mile to drive it around, and another $Y per instance to go park at specifc grocery stores, malls, and other similar areas for a couple hours. I'm not sure how he got hooked up with that. Maybe a Gillette rep approached them at a car show or something. So it's not totally unheard of, or at least wasn't in the past.


In this case, this scam likely works similar to the "work from home" scams. Once you agree to work for them, they send you a check for $1500 to cover the cost of the $1000 work laptop/car wrap/whatever, plus a $500 signing bonus. You're supposed to deposit the check, and immediately send the $1000 payment for the laptop/wrap to a specific vendor using a money order, Western Union wire, or similar type of funds. There's a lot of pressure here to make the payment now, right now, don't wait or this amazing opportunity will slip away and they'll take all their money back plus you'll owe them extra for processing your employment application, they'll file criminal charges and have you arrested for theft, they'll sue you for breaking your contract, etc.

Naturally, the initial check is fake, and they control the vendor that you just paid for your laptop/car wrap/whatever. So after you cave to the high pressure and your own greed/desperation, a few days later the check bounces, and they walk away laughing with the $1000 you just sent them, while you're probably stuck with an overdrawn bank account or some pissed off friends/family who loaned you $1000 "just until the check clears".

If this was on the up and up what will happen if the vehicle owners insurance finds out and cancels the policy or jacks up the rates because now the vehicle could be considered a commercial vehicle because of the advertising of/for a business or a product in exchange for profit for owner instead of a personal/private vehicle Can not win for loosing. ............................. drill sgt.

V-Tail,

You're going to work for the wrong bunch! Frito-Lays (how they spelled it!) offered me $650 a week for the same thing. If you like I'll forward the address to you so you can respond!

And you know the best thing? They TEXTED me at 2 freakin 37 A.M. with this! Anytime I get a phone call or a text message after 11 P.M. it's not going to be good.

The next morning I Googled the number, it appears to be a spoofed call so I did not call it. I was so tempted to call them and rip them a new one for the wake up/peel me off the ceiling text that early but figured it would be an innocent party on the receiving end.

I figured that it would be the old "overpayment" scam or maybe a variance that I get a check for the right amount and soon afterwards I get a email or text asking for my CC, PayPal or bank account numbers to facilitate future payments and to reimburse me for "incidental" expenses like getting the wrap done using my CC for payment.

Yep, this is getting old.

As the other posters have said it is a scam in your case. There are, however businesses that will provide you with a vehicle loaded with ads on the outside. You have to drive a certain number of miles and at some point in time return it to the business. A friend of mine who is a multimillionare owns a truck driving business. Their huge trucks often have advertsing the entire length of the truck. I could not believe how lucrative it was.

Those moving billboards, usually on a cutaway van or an Isuzu NPR chassis. When I worked commercial truck parts we had a fleet of those come into our shop on a regular basis.

Those are legit, wrap on a personal vehicle not so legit.

Ah, I see. It's a variation on the scam where the scammer sends a check or money order and wants you to send part of it via something like a Walmart money order.

Now that I understand, it might be amusing to come up with a way to mess with them.

UPDATE: I would have to be a complete fool to fall for this scam, offering me $300.00 / week to advertise Dr. Pepper.

Why in the world should I do that? This morning's text brought a much better offer. $550.00 / week to advertise Celsius Energy Drink! This great offer was texted to me from (336) 469-0600. The North Carolina Celsius Energy Drink scam offers me almost twice as much income as the Massachusetts Dr. Pepper scam.

I'll have enough income to buy a new Cadillac Escalade with 26" rims, and several high-end 1911s. I just can't wait for that easy money to start rolling in. Especially since I'll be 84 in less than a week, and physical limitations prevent me from doing much other work.

I have put in a message to my friend, the Nigerian prince, and I'm sure he will get back to me with full details soon.

Not so fast, guys... there are legit private vehicle wrap advertising brokers. I’ve seen a handful of folks driving around the DC metro area over the last couple of years obviously participating (because most of the ad wraps also include a URL for the ad broker).

Here’s a recent article with a review of five companies currently offering these contracts. They’re legit, but from what I’ve researched, only pay $200-300/mo., depending on mileage and location.

Legit Car Ad Companies

The OP’s text (and probably any others) is definitely a scam. Went to the URL and after the usual name and address stuff, the last blank they want from you is the name of your bank, which is obviously unnecessary until you’ve signed a contract, so there’s your scam. I’m sure if would be followed up with an email about providing your account info for a “test deposit” or some such nonsense, and there you have it.

I'd personally find better use of my time (work) than driving around with a stupid label on my vehicle... sounds about as fulfilling as standing on the side of the road with a stop/slow sign. Actually the latter is being a more productive citizen.