How many would fall for this?

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by JeffC, May 18, 2021.

  1. JeffC

    JeffC Go explore something and think a happy thought!

    Got this in the mail. Can't decide whether I'm more sad or angry about it. The unfortunate thing is that people DO fall for this kind of deceptive marketing.

    You get a letter from a former Treasurer of the United States. So it begins right away with some legitimacy.
    20210518_194157 copy.jpg

    There's a label with a cute dog and a floral envelope flap seal in the back, like the one grandma uses. The label looks like it's stuck on crooked, but in reality, it's printed right on the envelope to look like that.

    The letter from Mary Ellen Withrow:
    20210518_182630.jpg


    The star attraction is a huge newspaper article in the envelope, printed on convincing newspaper stock. It's about the recent coin shortage and if you don't read the article carefully enough, it reads like it concerns a government program to redistribute coins to the public, but only if you live in one of the ZIP codes noted. (And hey, your ZIP code qualifies... Yay!)
    20210518_181513.jpg
    20210518_182641.jpg
    To further convince you that it's a genuine newspaper clipping, look... the back has stock market quotations.

    20210518_181534.jpg

    You are entitled to get nearly 3 pounds of coins for $980. (After the deadline, it'll cost you $1,500, so don't you procrastinate!)
    View attachment 1306088

    Everything seems quite officially. At the bottom of the "Claim Form," you'll see that the U.S. Post Office is involved and could be a partner in this "government" program. But the official USPS logo actually looks like this:
    united-states-postal-service-usps-logo.png

    Here are legible copies of the "Newspaper" article. (You'll have to click on it and enlarge to read.) Look at the silver coins that will be part of the distribution (lower pic.)
    20210518_183047.jpg

    20210518_183059.jpg

    At first, I saw all these silver coins and I said, "Well, it's not so bad." A bag with nearly 3 pounds of silver coins for $980 is not a ridiculous amount over melt. Then I read the "newspaper" article more carefully. The "nearly 3 pounds" of coins includes wheaties, buffalo nickels, IHCs, 1943 steelies, V-Nickels, etc. Even Bicentennial Quarters! And, of course, they don't show pictures of those.

    I hope not many get taken in by this. What's sad and surprising to me is that a former Treasurer of the United States would collaborate with this scheme. But then, she's now 90+ in age. Perhaps she too was misled about her role.
     
    Last edited: May 18, 2021
    eddiespin, MIGuy, -jeffB and 8 others like this.
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  3. potty dollar 1878

    potty dollar 1878 Well-Known Member

  4. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    lol wow. The only letters I get from random people are Jehova's Witnesses.
     
  5. derkerlegand

    derkerlegand Well-Known Member

    Mary Ellen musta fallen on hard times. But, hey, Joe Namath is selling insurance...
     
    VistaCruiser69, MIGuy, Mkm5 and 2 others like this.
  6. ddddd

    ddddd Member

    Found this:

    Mary Ellen Withrow, a former U.S. treasurer under President Bill Clinton who lives in a retirement community in Marion, Ohio, says she is paid by the company to endorse the silver promotion. The ads describe Withrow as “the emeritus 40th Treasurer of the United States of America” and “executive advisor to the Lincoln Treasury.” She is quoted as urging buyers to snap up “as many (silver bars) as they can before they're all gone.”

    Reached by phone, Withrow confirmed that she approved the quotes and the use of her name in the ads but declined to say how much she is paid.

    Otherwise, she said she has no duties at the company. Does she believe the products are worth what the company is charging?

    “I think you'll have to ask the company,” she said.


    https://archive.triblive.com/busine...-silver-value-all-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder/
     
  7. potty dollar 1878

    potty dollar 1878 Well-Known Member

    intreasting.
     
    MIGuy likes this.
  8. PamR

    PamR You Never Know! Supporter

    It’s sad!
     
    MIGuy likes this.
  9. JeffC

    JeffC Go explore something and think a happy thought!

    She's 90 or 91. I hope it's just failing faculties. I'd hate to think that a former Treasurer of the U.S. would knowingly be involved in some deceptive marketing. So I choose to believe in a failed mental faculty over a flawed moral fiber.
     
    MIGuy, -jeffB and Dirtyfingers like this.
  10. JeffC

    JeffC Go explore something and think a happy thought!

    LOLOLOL. Well... I get letters from a former Treasurer of the United States, turned con artist.
     
    fretboard and furryfrog02 like this.
  11. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    Not sure which one is the bigger con artist ;)
     
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  12. CoinJockey73

    CoinJockey73 Well-Known Member

    This has been on my desk at work for a week or so. Nothing as fancy as yours, lol.
    20210518_214400.jpg
    I can't wait to get one of these! A liberty head!

    20210518_214432.jpg
    Very rare. Got my order in already!
     
  13. ddddd

    ddddd Member

    It's possible that it's a memory thing.
    I looked her up and found that she is still doing radio interviews. She sounds normal enough on the one interview I started listening to (and I would not expect someone with memory issues to be doing interviews).

    http://wwgh1071.com/2016/now-with-scott-spears/
    (scroll to Feb 9, 2021 for the last episode she appeared in)
     
    derkerlegand likes this.
  14. JeffC

    JeffC Go explore something and think a happy thought!

    Educate me here... the 1899 Barber Half is rare?
     
    CoinJockey73 likes this.
  15. JeffC

    JeffC Go explore something and think a happy thought!

    I notice that the ZIP code list on yours is different from mine. Hahahaha.
     
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  16. cpm9ball

    cpm9ball CANNOT RE-MEMBER

    "interesting" :):):):):)
     
    William F likes this.
  17. derkerlegand

    derkerlegand Well-Known Member

    Just my luck, they've cancelled my zip code...
     
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  18. JeffC

    JeffC Go explore something and think a happy thought!

    Wonder what Tom Brady would be pitching 30 years from now...
     
    derkerlegand likes this.
  19. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    Some sort of reverse mortgage on your bitcoin.
     
  20. CoinJockey73

    CoinJockey73 Well-Known Member

    No, no, no... that's a "silver liberty head". Very rare.
     
    derkerlegand and JeffC like this.
  21. CoinJockey73

    CoinJockey73 Well-Known Member

    Imagine that?
    Hi, 12 time superbowl champion, Tom Brady...
     
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