There are legitimate companies that pay you to put their logo on your personal vehicle and drive around. I personally don’t know of any, but they tell me they exist. Unfortunately, there are some scams in this business.

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reports they are receiving several complaints depicting these scams. Not surprisingly, the offers are made via online ad postings.

To make the offer seem more believable, the fraudsters use the name of well-known companies, such as Coca Cola or Heineken Beer and “sweeten the pot” by offering $400 - $600 per week. Not bad, when supposedly all you have to do is drive around with vinyl advertising signs wrapped around your vehicle.

The offer begins to “unwrap” when they send an up-front payment by cash or money order for more than the promised amount. They ask you to cash the check and wire the “excess” money to a third party whom they say is the graphic designer for the project.

By this time, red flags should be waving for you. Any time you are sent a check or money order and asked to cash it and write a check to send to someone else, it is almost always a scam. Unfortunately, the checks the fraudsters send look so authentic some people do become victims and take a financial loss.

Have you seen offers like this one? Share what you have experienced.