True story: There once was a 15-year-old who ran away from home with a few friends. In preparation, he forged grandpa's name on a $1 million check, made it out to himself, went to the bank--without an ID--and tried to cash it. The things 15-year-olds can think of ... .
Such are the fantasies of a kid whose ignorance might be excused due to youth and inexperience.
But what of a Houston man who purchased $2,200 in "Trump Bucks" over the past year only to find that his "Trump Bucks" are not, well, legal tender. Who knew?
Said the 77-year-old, John Amman, "There's no way to cash out what I have." We're shocked--shocked! How could $2,200 worth of money not minted in the United States, or anywhere, be worthless?
To be fair, despite the fact that Mr. Trump has entered into a number of ventures that we might find questionable, like the digital trading cards that even had Steve Bannon cringing, there doesn't appear to be any evidence the former president has anything to do with this current scam.
But make no mistake. It is a scam.
According to NBC News, advertisements from "groups such as Patriots Dynasty, Patriots Future and USA Patriots suggests" those who buy the bill of goods "will be rewarded when Trump unveils a new monetary system that will turn these products into legal tender worth far more than the purchase price."
How in the world could anyone fall for such a scam?
One way is through our new-old friend, artificial intelligence. One ad features Elon Musk intoning, "Let's make America wealthy again" and shows video of him saying the "Trump certificate is not a joke, it's real. Everyone needs to get as many as they can. I spent $1 million on Trump certificates, and this week I'm going to cash out my Trump items. Soon I will be the richest person on the planet again."
Here's the problem with Musk's statement. It's not his. The video showing this, according to NBC, came from a Ted Talk in 2022. The video ends with a slide advertising a free app that allows the user to "make your favorite celebrity say anything."
These scammers are nothing if not clever. They're hucksters who should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We've warned about the potential negative impact of AI technology on individuals of sound mind, but, find the gullible among us, and it can be turned into a gold mine for the less than ethical among us.
We have many bona fide patriots who fought hard to keep this nation free to pursue life, liberty and happiness. Those who would betray your trust are not among them.