Don't get scammed by fake brand deals: how a fake collab almost cost me $3,000

Summary

So a printer company slid into my inbox offering me a free $2,000 DTF printer in exchange for a little content, and reader, I was amped. Nine increasingly weird emails later they asked me to send a screenshot of my bank info "so we can pay for your computer" — and that's when I hit the Google and realized I was about two clicks away from the most common creator scam there is.

I didn't lose any money, but I did lose a week and a printer I was genuinely excited about. So here's the whole embarrassing story plus the red-flag checklist I wish someone had handed me, because if you've got followers, this is coming for you eventually.

• The overpayment trap: they "pay" you $3,000 when they owe you $500, tell you to forward the extra to a "video editor," and then the original transfer bounces and your real money is gone.
• Malicious downloads and fake login pages are the other flavor — never open a "terms" PDF from a cold email.
• Instant red flags: too much money, being asked to pay to get paid, a mobile check photo in your DMs, or a domain that isn't the brand's real one.
• Verify directly: go to the brand's actual website and ask them if the email is theirs.
• Keep your public email separate from your login email — that's one less step for someone trying to take over your account.

Get that bag, sis. Just double-check who's handing it to you.

Transcript

Let me tell you how a fake brand collaboration almost cost me like $3,000. Let's [ __ ] go, baby. Hi. Hello. Good morning. Want to hear about how I almost got scammed? That's right, scammed. So, here's the thing. I got a bunch of followers, which means now I have brands that will slip into my DMs and say like, "Hey, you want to do some partnering?" and then I decide if I want to do some partnering. Most of them do not align with my ethics, morals, values, etc. Most of the time I'm like, e, this really doesn't this doesn't really fit my niche. But like Fleek, that was a great partnership. I sell vintage, they sell vintage wholesale. Grabby, great partnership. They sell craft supplies. I love arts and crafts. That's my whole thing, right? So, like sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn't make any sense.

So, I get an email and it's from ProColored. Procolored is uh a printer company. They make like DTF printers and um it's kind of like a fancy Cricut, right? So, I am kind of amped. They're offering a free DTF printer. It's one of their like lower-end models in exchange for me posting a little bit of content about it. And I'm like, "Fuck yeah, this is actually great." Because I've had people asking if I would make like Zup Crew type shirts, uh, things that said Zup Zup. And I was like, "Oh my god, I could do that now. I could like print that on to some of the Upcycles." I'm having all these ideas and I'm like super amped. This is dope. Also, it's like a $2,000 machine. So, I'm like, "Hell yeah, I feel so [ __ ] cool." And they send over their terms and I'm like, "Yeah, that works for me." And they're like, "Great. We'll get it in the mail." And I'm like, I think I even probably posted about it like, "Hey, this printer company is sending me this cool thing and we're going to make cool [ __ ] together. It's going to be great, friends."

Uh, nay. Red flags start going off. Long story short, there's like nine email exchanges back and forth where they keep shifting the parameters and adding things. Ultimately, they say, "You'll need to have a Windows computer." And I'm like, "Sorry, bro. I use Mac. Maybe this won't work after all." Cuz I'm already kind of irritated because this has been dragging out for like a [ __ ] week at this point. And despite my brand name, I do not have time to waste. So, you're on my nerves. Please give me a comprehensive list of everything that you need. I'll agree or disagree and we can move on. They reply with a comprehensive list and then they're like adding an additional thing even there. The heck? And they're like, "Oh, hey, by the way, we'll pay for the computer. Just send us a screenshot in your bank info." My what now?

So, I hit the Google and I realize, oh, [ __ ] This is like the most common scam. and I didn't even realize it. I should know better, but I almost got Let me tell you about what they were doing. So, there's a few ways that scams like this work. One way is they will send you something to download like please review our terms in this PDF and then you download it and there's something bad in there that then can track your keystrokes, get your password info or sometimes they will send you to a login screen, but it's a fake login screen and they get your password information there and then they take over your whole freaking life.

What I think these guys were trying to do is this overpayment scam. And basically what they do is they deposit money into your account or they send you a picture of a fake check and then you use that fake check uh to make the deposit. It's called an overpayment trap. The deposit is always for much more than your agreed terms. So, for instance, they'll deposit 3,000, but they only owed you 500. Then they'll tell you the extra 2500 is for a graphic designer, video editor, or to buy campaign materials, and tell you to send that money to a third party. Once you do that, your bank realizes that the initial transfer was fake, stolen, or forged, and they reverse the entire $3,000 from your account. all of your real money goes away and the fake money goes back to where it came from and you lose and that is insane.

So, heads up that those are uh some things that are happening right now. If you are starting to get brand collaborations and all of that, um I don't know how to prevent it from happening to you. I lied. I do have some tips to prevent it from happening to you and I wrote them down so I'd stay on track. Number one, if they send you too much money, it is a scam. If they ask you to pay to get paid, it is a scam. They might try and say, "Hey, you just cover shipping fees and we'll get the rest." Scam. Don't do it. They say, "Here's a mobile check for you to deposit, and it is a picture of a check in your DMs. Scam." If their domain email is anything other than that brand's email, scam. And also reach out to the brand directly after this happens. Ask them, "Hey, I got an email from this address. Are they related to you?" And they'll let you know.

Don't get scammed, babies. If you have a thousand followers and someone reaches out offering you an incredible opportunity, it's probably a scam. Honestly, it's just like with anything. If it feels too good to be true, it probably is. So before you respond, before you open any files, before you do anything, double check the email, go to the brand's website, see who, what, when, where, why, and what the [ __ ] You know, make sure that you are protecting yourself, protecting your brand. Make sure that your channels, your public email address is different from your actual login email address. They need to be different because if they're public facing, it's one one easier step for people to hack into your account and take it over.

There's a million videos on this stuff. Uh, and I encourage you to protect yourself and to get that bag, sis. You deserve it. But, you know, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. And in my case, it was. And, um, I'm pretty bummed because I really wanted that [ __ ] prick. It seemed really cool. [snorts] Anyway, I hope this helps. I love you. Stay hydrated. You're beautiful. Goodbye.

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