Beware of scams promising easy money

With COVID–19 putting a financial pinch on so many people, there is a temptation to search the internet for extra ways to earn money.

One Whitley County resident said Tuesday that he thought he had found one way involving advertising for Dr. Pepper soft drinks. However, it could have ended up costing him thousands of dollars, and he wants others to be wary.

Ricky Jones said after answering an ad seeking people who were willing to have their vehicles wrapped with an advertisement and get paid $250 to $500 for it, he had forgotten about it until a check arrived in the mail for $1,990.

“The check looks as real as it can get,” Jones said, noting the accompanying letter explained that he was to keep $1,000 and give the person that came to wrap his car $990.

After initially thinking how great of a deal, Jones said he had second thoughts when he realized he was being paid for something he hadn’t even done.

Seeing that the check came from the Texas Central Bank, he got the bank’s number and called about the check.

“They told me what would have happened if I cashed the check was that it would have bounced, and I would have had to pay the money back plus interest, along with check fees and bank fees,” Jones said.

In addition, Jones said whoever sent out the check likely would have had access to his bank account.

“A lot of people would have just put it in the bank,” Jones said noting that the check has the water mark and is printed on typical check material. “Don’t cash the check. It is no good!”

According to the Better Business Bureau, this type of scam has been around for some time, but frequently resurfaces.

“It’s a great concept. It’s just not feasible that companies are going to pay that type of money to do that but it sounds good, so people are falling for it,” officials at the Better Business Bureau told KHQA News in 2019.