"Accepted for value" scam.

[asthmatic camel]

Anyone familiar with this one and how the scammers operate? I ask because someone I know was referred by a friend to " debt counsellors" who give advice on how to clear your debts for nothing using a legal loophole. Out of the goodness of my heart I accompanied this rightly suspicious person to a group meeting to find that it was run by two dodgy blokes in a tatty backroom shop offering clairvoyance services, aromatherapy oils etc. Much bullshit and baloney later I left with my friend advising her not to have anything to do with these guys and that I would do a little research.

Amongst other interesting info, I immediately found this on the FBI website.

Tips for Avoiding Redemption/Strawman/Bond Fraud:

Be wary of individuals or groups selling kits that they claim will inform you how to access secret bank accounts.
Be wary of individuals or groups proclaiming that paying federal and/or state income tax is not necessary.
Do not believe that the U.S. Treasury controls bank accounts for all citizens.
Be skeptical of individuals advocating that speeding tickets, summons, bills, tax notifications, or similar documents can be resolved by writing “acceptance for value” on them.
If you know of anyone advocating the use of property liens to coerce acceptance of this scheme, contact your local FBI office.

Also, I found this on another site.

Editor’s Comment:

The term “Snake Oil Salesman” has been used for centuries to describe a person selling a worthless product for a high profit to the salesman with no benefit to the purchaser. There are a number of scam artists that are touring the nation, and even live here in the Phoenix Valley, with snake oil that is worse than simply getting stuck with a bottle of crap. They are using, among other phrases, “accepted for value”.

These schemes all involve not paying a bill by the individual creating of money out of thin air. It sounds ridiculous because it is ridiculous–but it could land you in prison.

The scam artist(s) get a bunch of people together in a scripted meeting at which shills are hired to pose as skeptics and the scam artist(s) quote or misquote various statutes, rules, regulations and court cases in which they make it appear as though you have every much the right to create money as the government of the society in which you live. The shills eventually admit that they were “wrong” and accept to purchase the service. Leading the victim into believing they are just joining other people who seem to know what they are talking about.

They all charge fees and they frequently convince desperate people who are looking for an escape valve that this scheme will work or somehow delay the collection of a bill or debt. The purchaser is left not only with a bottle of crap but with late charges, interest, cancelation of services, foreclosure, eviction and potentially prison. There is no part of the “AFV” movement that has any truth or legitimacy.

Although no money changed hands or was demanded on this occasion, I'm pretty sure it would have in the future and am wondering whether or not to do anything about it.

[Pyrrho]

Reminds me of the time I went to a job interview. 20 other people in the room, no interviewers, just a form asking for our credit information.

NOPE.

[Doctor X]

Report them to your local authorities which may or may not take an interest. The thing to remind your friend is if it was that easy to cancel debts and the like either everyone would do it or The Guv'mint would close the loophole. A ton of rich people writing "I Don't Have to Pay This Debt" in Special Septia Magic Markers gets noticed.

Right now, Your Guv'mint--since you are a queen . . . not . . . that . . . there is [Get on with it!--Ed.]--is fighting to force companies like Google and Starbucks and the like to pay taxes it feels these company owes. So they are going to ignore these loopholes? Same in 'murica.

Con men prey on those who want "something for nothing" even if the want is understandable. The con works even better if the mark think he is special and is screwing someone else.

--J.D.

[asthmatic camel]

Update.

Winston Shrout is a leader in the so-called “sovereign citizen” movement, a loosely organized conspiracy scene whose adherents claim to be independent of the government. Their claims are completely bunk. But leaders like Shrout have used the movement to sell false hope to the destitute and the desperate. Last fall, Shrout was sentenced to 10 years in prison for giving followers fake bills he claimed were worth more than $100 trillion, total.

Since Shrout went missing, his movement’s least favorite day—Tax Day—has come and gone. Without Shrout to provide advice, at least one sovereign citizen wondered whether or not to keep practicing Shrout’s “Accepted for Value” (A4V) tax-evasion method.

“is there any information on A4V?” the person wrote on a sovereign Facebook page weeks before taxes were due. “Is it recommended for paying taxes in light of Winston Shrouts imprisonment? Thanks”

This is exactly the scam being tried in the opening post. Although "Acceptance for value" is a valid if obscure term used in connection with bills of exchange, writing it on demands for payment and returning them to the issuer most certainly does NOT exempt you from liability for said debts. Not even if you use a special stamp and a red ink pad sold to you by the scammers.

:)

[asthmatic camel]

Aand, this is what happens if you fall for this crap.



:D

[asthmatic camel]

https://i.imgur.com/F6qt2Y9.jpg

Seriously, it's good to do a bit of Real Skepticism™ now and again, and I note that SC is 3rd on the list when this scam is Googled, so hopefully some will take notice. If anyone does end up here with serious financial difficulties, please go and see a reputable debt counselling service.

Here's a good place to start in the UK, although much of the advice applies globally.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/loans/debt-help-plan/

[Witness]

am wondering whether or not to do anything about it.

Did you?

You could add that you felt they were disrespecting Islam, as a lubricant. :mrgreen:

[asthmatic camel]

am wondering whether or not to do anything about it.

Did you?

You could add that you felt they were disrespecting Islam, as a lubricant. :mrgreen:

Apart from persuading my friend that she should run a mile and to pass on the information I'd found to the person who'd recommended these guys? No, as I didn't feel that I had sufficient evidences to approach the authorities; I hadn't witnessed any criminal activity, only some very, very bad advice given with the possible aid of a shill.