IF YOU'VE BEEN SOLICITED BY A
COMPANY ASKING TO WRAP YOUR
CAR, PROCEED WITH CAUTION.
KRISTIN:
A MORRISTOWN MAN ANSWERED AN AD
RECENTLY CLAIMING HE COULD
MAKE MONEY WHILE DRIVING HIS
CAR.
HE CALLED WATE, SIX ON YOUR SIDE
CONSUMER REPORTER DON
DARE AFTER REALIZING THE DEAL
WAS A SCAM.
DON:
THIS IS A CLASSIC SCAM,
THE BOGUS CHECK SCAM NOW DRESSED
UP IN NEW CLOTHES.
ONE WAY TO MAKE
EXTRA MONEY WHILE DRIVING YOUR
CAR IS BY WRAPPING IT WITH
AN ADVERTISEMENT. IN SOME AREAS
OF
THE COUNTRY, IT CAN PAY OFF.
SOME BUSINESSES PAY A FEE FOR
PEOPLE TO DRIVE AROUND WITH A
BRANDED WRAP ON THEIR VEHICLES.
BUT IF ITS A CAR WRAP "SCAM,"
YOU
COME OUT THE LOSER.
DARE: YOU WERE HOPING TO MAKE
SOME MONEY USING
YOUR CAR AND NOT BE AN UBER
DRIVER? DOUG BERRY:
CORRECT. THE IDEA WAS TO PUT A
DECAL OR A WRAP ON THE VEHICLE.
DOUG BERRY ANSWERED AN AD ABOUT
MAKING EASY MONEY BY
USING HIS CAR AS A DRIVING
BILLBOARD.
DOUG BERRY: THE WRAP WOULD GO
WHERE, SHOW ME.
DOUG: THE WRAP WOULD GO ON THE
QUARTER PANEL, THEY
DIDN'T SAY EXACTLY WHERE. BUT
THAT IT WOULD BE A DECAL
OR A WRAP ON THE VEHICLE.
A TEXT MESSAGE HE WAS SENT SAYS
HE WOULD MAKE HUNDREDS OF
DOLLARS WITHIN THREE MONTHS. IT
MADE SENSE -- ON THE BACK
WINDOW OF HIS CAR IS AN
ADVERTISEMENT FOR A CARD
REFERRAL BUSINESS FROM WHICH
DOUG GETS SOME MONEY.
DOUG: IF YOU TEXT THIS CODE TO
THIS NUMBER THEN I GET A
LITTLE SOMETHING EACH TIME
SOMEONE CLICKS ON THAT. IN
THIS ENVELOPE, WE HAVE THE CHECK
AND THEIR SO-CALLED
INSTRUCTIONS.
THE INSTRUCTIONS SENT TO DOUG
DIRECT HIM TO TEXT HIS NAME ONCE
HE
RECEIVES THE CASHIERS CHECK.
DOUG: AND THIS CHECK IS FOR
29-HUNDRED AND 50 DOLLARS.
WHICH, IF YOU NOTICE THE CHECK
IS BLURRY. IF YOU HOLD IT UP TO
THE LIGHT THERE IS NO WATER
MARK.
DARE: NONE AT ALL. DOUG: NONE AT
ALL. SO IT A TOTALLY
BOGUS CHECK.
DOUG READS: WE HAVE ACCEPTED YOU
TO DRIVE YOUR
RIDE WITH A CRAYOLA LOGO.
DOUG RECEIVED HALF A DOZEN TEXT
MESSAGES. THE AREA CODE --
WHICH IS LIKELY SPOOFED -- WAS
FROM CALIFORNIA.
DOUG: WHEN YOU RECEIVE IT,
DEPOSIT THE CHECK TO YOUR
BANK AND GET BACK TO ME ONCE IT
IS DEPOSITED.
HE WAS TOLD TO PURCHASE A TOTAL
OF 24-HUNDRED DOLLARS IN MONEY
GRAM CARDS FROM WALMART AND THEN
CONTACT A MR. CHRISTOPHER WITH
THE NUMBERS.
DARE: THEY WANTED YOU TO SEND
THEM 24 HUNDRED
DOLLARS? DOUG: YES. DARE: TO DO
WHAT? DOUG: TO SEND
AN INSTALLATION CREW TO PLACE A
DECAL AND WRAP THE
CAR.
BECAUSE THE CHECK LOOKED
SUSPICIOUS, DOUG TOOK IT TO HIS
BANK, ASKED THE MANAGER TO
INSPECT IT, IT WAS BOGUS. STEVE
CARRO: WELL, WE PRINT IT, WE
LAMINATE IT.
THERE ARE LEGITIMATE CAR
WRAPPING BUSINESSES IN
EAST TENNESSEE. STEVE CARRO
OPERATES THE GREAT AMERICAN
SIGN COMPANY OUT OF KNOXVILLE.
STEVE SAYS: FROM THIS POINT DOWN
IS ONE PIECE
STEVE SAYS HE RECEIVES INQUIRIES
FROM PEOPLE ASKING IF
THEY CAN MAKE EXTRA MONEY BY
HAVING THEIR CARS WRAPPED. THE
ADVERTISEMENTS ARE OKAY FOR
LOCAL BUSINESSES, BUT NOT FOR
INDIVIDUALS
IN EAST TENNESSEE.
STEVE CARRO, GREAT AMERICAN SIGN
COMPANY:THAT
MIGHT WORK IN A NASHVILLE, NEW
YORK, CHICAGO, LOS
ANGELES, DALLAS, HOUSTON, YOU
ARE TALKING CITIES THAT
ARE FIVE TIMES THE POPULATION OF
KNOXVILLE.
JUST NOT ENOUGH EYEBALLS.
BACK IN MORRISTOWN, DOUG'S CAR
WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN
WRAPPED BECAUSE THE PERSON WHO
SENT THE CHECK WAS A SCAMMER, IT
WOULD HAVE BOUNCED AND DOUG
WOULD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE MONEY SENT OFF. DOUG: THERE
ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE
BEING TAKEN FROM THIS EVERYDAY.
DARE: AND YOU DON'T WANT? DOUG:
I
DON'T WANT ANYONE AROUND HERE OR
ANYWHERE ELSE TO
GET TAKEN FROM THIS. THESE
PEOPLE NEED TO BE STOPPED.
DON:
THE CAR-WRAP ANGLE IS A NEW
TWIST. VERY MODERN, VERY
ALLURING TO PEOPLE LOOKING TO
MAKE EASY MONEY.
BUT, IF YOU GET A MESSAGE URGING
YOU TO DEPOSIT A CHECK AND WIRE
MONEY BACK,
THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
SAYS IT'S A SCAM, EVERY TIME, NO
MATTER THE STORY.
KRISTIN AND BO
WE THANK DOUG FOR BRINGING THIS
SCAM TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION.
BO:
IF YOU HAVE A CONSUMER
QUESTION FOR DON -- SEND HIM AN
EMAIL AT D-DARE AT W-A-T-E DOT
COM,
OR CALL HIS SIX ON YOUR SIDE
HOTLINE NUMBER AT 865- 633-5974.
KRISTIN:
STILL TO COME -
A YOUNG GIRL.. IS FINDING
INSPIRATION FROM THE NEWEST
AMERICAN GIRL DOLL.
BO:
HOW THIS TOY IS MAKING A
DIFFERENCE.. WHEN WE COME BACK.