Local Facebook groups are still dealing with a nationwide scam involving car detailing or duct cleaning offers, involving social media posts typically consisting of similar content – before and after pictures of car detailing or duct cleaning and a variation of the following ad copy:
Hello neighbors!
I own a car Detailing business and local to the neighborhood. No kind of upfront charge I have well experience technicians. If anyone would like to support the local that would be really appreciated I’ll make sure you that you guys will be happy with my work and you don’t have to pay until we have completed the work.”
The posts are different than legitimate businesses who offer similar services, and will sometimes include a cell number, but typically request people in the group to “DM” (direct message) the original poster. Many of these posts will not include a business name or website, but a lot have started doing so in recent months to avoid easy detection. The scam can occur in a few different ways. Sometimes, there is a claim of no upfront payment required, but a private request of a “refundable deposit” is made prior to the start of the work. Other times, a call center located overseas will hire out someone not qualified for the job to actually visit the home and attempt to complete it– leaving the consumer on the hook to pay for a service that is completed poorly and often times includes a price that is much higher than what was originally agreed upon.
We spoke with a Montgomery County resident who is an administrator on two local Facebook pages who shared with us that the profiles behind these fraudulent posts appear to be real at first glance, but a deeper look will reveal just one or two photos without much interaction on its profile. Many times the same person will post similar messages in Facebook groups across the country simultaneously, in hopes that someone will fall for the scam.
“We have received over a dozen messages since the start of the year from people who were scammed by this kind of post. We try our best to monitor it, but they’re often deleted quickly before any admin sees them, and by then it’s too late” the neighborhood Facebook admin told us.
It’s always important to do your own research to ensure you’re using a reputable company. Look for a reputable company with a website, reviews, and recommendations from people you trust. If you believe you’ve been scammed by one of these fake business posts, please reach out to your local state’s attorney general for guidance.