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Make money advertising energy drinks: really?

Posted at 5:37 PM, Sep 08, 2015
and last updated 2015-09-08 17:37:55-04

We'd all like to earn some extra money.

So how about a few hundred dollars to advertise popular sports drinks on the side of your car?

Ads Show up on Facebook

Maybe you've spotted one of the Red Bull Mini Coopers, or a van advertising Monster or or Rockstar energy drink.

Greg Fuller saw an ad pop up on Facebook  and thought "why not."

"It was an advertisement to put decals on your car, to advertise Rockstar energy drink, and they would pay you $400 a week," he said.

So Fuller applied.

Within days, he received an envelope saying he had been selected.

It even came with a check to pay a "detailer" to place Rockstar logos on his Honda.

"I would cash the check, take out my first week's payment, and pay the detailer the remainder of the check," he said.

Details Raise Alarms

But it was how he was supposed to pay the detailer that set of an alarm bell in his head.

Rather than just drive to a local detail shop, the instructions were bizarre.

"MoneyGram the rest of the check, the cash to the detailer, and he gave me an address which was in Puerto Rico," Fuller said.

This is another version of the phony check scam, according to theBetter Business Bureau.

That big check you receive? It's a fake, and will bounce in a week, after you send your money to the bogus detail shop, which is really the scammer.

 Red Bull now has warnings on their webpage about this scam.

The Bottom Line

The BBB says energy drinks don't solicit people with emails or Facebook ads.

They advertise on their own vehicles, not Greg Fuller's Honda, or your old car.

It's very rare for a company to allow non employees to drive cars with their logo, because of the risk you get caught speeding or cutting off other drivers.

So be careful if you get one of these offers, so you don't waste your money.

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