Scammers promise “easy money.” But it’s only easy money for them.

Have you seen posts on job boards or gotten messages that say you can make easy money if you agree to put ads on your car?

While there are a few legitimate companies who will pay you to wrap your car in ads, the majority are trying to set you up for a fake check scam.

It can be expensive to maintain your car, especially if you’re a college student or just starting your career. Getting paid to drive around – something you do anyway – could sound like a good deal. But if you’re tempted by one of these offers – tap the brakes.

While there are a few legitimate companies who will pay you to wrap your car in ads, the majority are trying to set you up for a fake check scam. Let’s look at how the scam works, red flags to watch out for, and ways to stay safe.

How Car Wrap Scams Work

Here’s what usually happens in a car wrap scam: First, you’ll see a post or message with an enticing tagline like “Get Paid to Drive.” It might promise a big weekly payment if you drive around with your vehicle wrapped with graphics advertising popular brands. Unfortunately, the people behind the ads don’t really represent those brands. They just want to pay themselves – with your money.

If you respond, they’ll hire you right away, then mail you a check. They will instruct you to deposit the check, keep part of the money as an “advance payment,” and forward the rest to a “decal agent” who will put the ads on your car. They will tell you to pay by money order, wire transfer, or mobile app – payment types that are hard to cancel or get your money back from. But there is no “decal agent.” You’ve just sent money back to the scammer, or an accomplice. And the check they sent you will bounce, leaving you on the hook for the amount you sent. That means if you deposited a $1,500 check and sent $500 to the “decal agent,” you’ve lost $500 of your own money. And guess what? You don’t get to keep the $1,000, either.

Watch Out for These Red Flags

Here are some red flags to watch out for:

• The offer comes to you as an unsolicited email, text, or direct message on social media. They might even mention that they saw your profile or resume on a job site.
• The ad or message promises hundreds of dollars a week. In reality, most real car wrap programs simply aren’t this lucrative.
• The representative uses a personal email account.
• Their communications are full of typos and odd phrasing.
• They hire you on the spot.
• They want you to use money from a check to pay a third party.

How You Can Protect Yourself

Here are some steps you can take to stay safe from car wrap scams and other check scams:

• Research the opportunity by running a search with the text of the offer – or the company name plus terms like “complaint” and “reviews.” If the offer involves a specific brand, look for a scam alert on that company’s website.
• Don’t use person-to-person payment apps with strangers.
• Don’t agree to forward money from a check sent by someone you don’t know.

And remember that just because a check has “cleared,” that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s real. Financial institutions can take a while to determine if a check is bad, so it’s smart to wait 30 days before spending the money from any check that you have concerns about. Even if funds are available at first, they could be deducted if your financial institution discovers the check was fake.

What to Do if You’re a Victim of This Scam

If you’ve been cheated in a car wrap scam, take action.

• Call your financial institution immediately if you’ve sent money or disclosed account information.
• Contact the website where you encountered the scam.
• Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov.

Making “easy money” sounds great, but it could be a trap. Be very careful when answering ads or unsolicited texts or emails with job offers. Remember these tips – and don’t get wrapped up in a car wrap scam! To learn more about protecting your personal information or managing your finances, talk to your financial institution today.