Analysis: AdViewGlobal, BizAdSplash In Failure Mode
UPDATE: 4:59 P.M. EST (U.S.A.) The Surf’s Up Forum now says the government has seized or frozen two bank accounts of ASD members. It did not provide the source, and it encouraged members not to identify the owners of the accounts. Here, below, our earlier post . . .
EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s getting harder and harder to write about the levels of absurdity surrounding the AdSurfDaily case. Along those lines, it’s getting harder and harder to track all the conspiracy theories. The madness of all things ASD is on full display for all the world to see, and there’s no sense trying to sugarcoat it. It is what it is. Make sure you read the caption under the second screen shot below.
Here, below, our main post . . .
Let’s start with some autosurf news — or, more precisely, the lack of autosurf news.
Yesterday a poster at the Pro-AdSurfDaily “Surf’s Up” forum said the government was in the process of seizing bank accounts from individual ASD participants. Surf’s Up, at first, appeared to confirm the reports — and then a Mod quickly deleted the post. The issue was re-posted, and was deleted again. It got posted a third time as an entry in a separate thread, and Surf’s Up then said it was checking on the reports because it didn’t want to spread a panic by publishing unverifiable information. It then got posted again as a separate thread, and again was deleted.
Our longtime readers might want to laugh out loud or perhaps even hurl right now at the thought that Surf’s Up didn’t want to publish unverifiable information. It’s enough to make you want to call Letterman or Leno, considering that Surf’s Up routinely publishes unverifiable information, accepts paid advertising from unverifiable surf programs, and openly promotes AdViewGlobal (AVG), which is desperately trying to keep its ownership structure a secret.
AdViewGlobal says Quincy is its home.
It’s already too late for AVG should the government wish to make an example of it. The surf exposed itself out of the gate because greedy racketeers are in charge and because people who admire greedy racketeers are doing their bidding. AVG couldn’t get this genie back in the bottle if it tried — and it has tried — thus opening itself up to even more civil and criminal charges.
Gary Talbert was an ASD executive and submitted a sworn affidavit in the ASD case. AVG, a surf that came to life in the aftermath of the government's seizure of Andy Bowdoin's assets, identified Talbert as its CEO in a news release earlier this month in which it also made the self-defeating claim to have no ties to ASD. The news release was issued by a former ASD customer-service representative now working in the same capacity for AVG, while also serving as an AVG spokesman. The rep, Chuck Osmin, was a witness for ASD at an evidentiary hearing last fall. He lost money as a result of the government's seizure of ASD's assets. Osmin sent this Blog an email on Jan. 28, prior to the formal launch of AVG, suggesting ASD was OK because it was a "manual" surf, as opposed to an "autosurf." AVG launched a few days later. Osmin then issued a news release on behalf of AVG, identifying Talbert and himself as employees of AVG. The "no ties" claim is demonstrably false. So is any suggestion that ASD or AVG are legal business models because participants have to click on a prompt to get the next ad to load -- a "manual" surf. The issue is the sale of unregistered securities via wire in a Ponzi environment. "Manual" surf doesn't get ASD or AVG off the hook for that and is a ridiculous attempt to cloud the issues. On the date of the the AVG launch, we received another email from an ASD supporter who also wanted to educate us on the difference between "manual" surfs and "autosurfs." The sender told us he was asked to contact us.
One thing the owners could do — if they get boxed in by investigators — is to rat out fellow insiders. It is obvious that AVG and ASD have common ties and common management. It’s so right-in-plain-sight obvious that it wouldn’t surprise us at all if the government itself is simply waiting to find the rat of highest value or already is dangling the cheese.
Perhaps by coincidence, Surf’s Up also deleted information a reader had posted from this Blog — a story we had done about the failure of the Premium Ads Club autosurf. Surf’s Up management doesn’t like this Blog and accuses it of bias against ASD.
Our bias is in favor of all the people ASD President Andy Bowdoin ripped off by using a Ponzi scheme model to sell unregistered securities and drafting participants into a conspiracy to commit money-laundering, wire fraud and racketeering — while invoking God to sanitize the “opportunity.”
Surf’s Up is doing the same thing. It’s basically just Bowdoin’s alter ego, perhaps with a degree of separation, but not one that will save the Mods from prosecution should the government decide to reduce the surf “industry” — man, how it pains us to use the word “industry” to describe this criminal business — to its constituent electrons.
In any event, we were unable to confirm the reports that the government was seizing additional bank accounts from ASD members. Given that Surf’s Up at first appeared to confirm the reports and then shifted gears, it is possible that something like this is going on behind the scenes.
It would make sense for the government to do that — and, in January, the government filed reams of additional paperwork in the e-Gold case. Prosecutors appear to be in the process of liquidating ill-gotten gains linked to e-Gold though HYIPs and autosurfs. Nine separate e-Gold actions were filed on Jan. 8 and Jan. 9. They were the prosecutorial equivalent of a clawback.
ASD once used used e-Gold, which was indicted and convicted of facilitating money-laundering — by the very same prosecution team involved in the ASD case, along with other prosecutors. A Secret Service agent in the ASD case is playing a prominent role in the clawback cases and has demonstrated exceptional investigative skills. He clearly knows how to follow the money and has help from people equally skilled in reverse-engineering financial schemes.
“Shortly after publicity surrounding the government’s investigation into e-Gold appeared, ASD discontinued using the e-Gold system as a means for receiving member funds,” prosecutors said in the August forfeiture complaint against assets tied to ASD.
AVG is toast. It will fail even if the government doesn’t take it down. At a minimum, it is conducting customer service for an illegal enterprise from the United States. Wires that run through the United States are being employed to conduct business, and the business model itself is illegal. The only question is when the failure will occur. AVG is running a promotion right now in a bid to collect cash to sustain itself, but it is at the precipice.
So is BizAdSplash, which is no more legal and makes up new rules whenever it sees fit. Like AVG, it fundamentally is drafting customers into a conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money-laundering and racketeering.
The operators underestimated the level of anger non-crackpot members of ASD have at Bowdoin. And they made their market even more narrow by peddling their non-product to the antigovernment crowd, which is a small crowd despite the noise it makes.
Indeed, the ASD case never was about the abuse of government power or politics. Claims to the contrary are smokescreens by people who need to find a scapegoat other than Andy Bowdoin or themselves.
Very few members of the public have any tolerance for Ponzi schemes in these post-Madoff days, and potential participants are seeing themselves on the evening newscast, perhaps wearing handcuffs or being chased by reporters and camera crews. It’s harder to sell Ponzis in this environment. Besides, people are angry at Bowdoin for using God to sanitize theft on a grand scale.
The new surfs can’t collect the type of money Bowdoin collected in this environment, and they can’t prevent panic among members. Panic leads to a run on the bank. The new surfs are trolling for cash in particular odious ways, and you can bet your bottom dollar that the operators are going to take their cut before they worry about sustainability issues.
They’ll do just what Andy Bowdoin did — and what Surf’s Up wants you to do. At this very moment Surf’s Up is trying to rally the troops by telling them to “Expect The Unexpected!”
When Surf’s Up says things such as that, you can bet that something criminally stupid is certain to follow or that ASD will declare an impossibly tortured victory of some sort.
when i told a heavy hitter from ASD and now a heavy hitter in AVG, that “your nuts, can’t you figure out this stuff is illegal, and if AVG sets themselfs up right the government could or will freeze YOUR assets. He said “that is why I telling my people to open a checking account that you will only use to keep $5.00 in it so if the feds freeze it, they won’t be any money in it!!!!!!
I told him “that not how it works,” but thanks, but no thanks.
Wow, Patrick – and bravo!
This is the clearest and most direct statement I’ve ever seen anywhere about what these predators are doing. Thanks for your continued campaign to shed the much-needed light of truth to this insidious “industry”.
Edit: It’s not an industry, it’s a criminal subculture that appeals to the greedy on one hand and preys on the naive/ignorant on the other hand.
Mark,
Your heavy hitter is either showing his ignorance (unlikely) or trying to lull you and others into a false sense of security (SOP for promoters) that even if AVG is illegal (and it is), if you only keep $5 in the checking account, the government can only seize THAT specific account if it is the only one you use for AVG. They can seize ALL of your assets. By your contact’s logic, if Madoff had funneled all $50 Billion through HIS checking account and then moved the funds immediately to other accounts (his kids’ apparently), then he’d only have at risk $5 and be able to keep the remaining $49,999,999,995. I am afraid it doesn’t work like that. I find that if you view every action and every word and every post of a promoter using the bias that they are either trying to take your money now or setting you up in their downline to take your money later in a new scam, you will be able to explain 99% of their words and actions as being eminently logical. They are trying to separate you from your money and put it in their pocket, full stop. The checking account story you were told is so full of BS it is comical, but IF he can get you to believe if, you’ll willingly line his pocket as his downline in AVG.
You find these simple, amazing logical contradictions arising ALL of the time in the postings from the promoters. They never can have a cogent discussion — they eventually turn to name calling, insults, diversions, blame things on government/media/Big Oil/Big Auto conspiracies, etc. Ask a hard question, they NEVER even once answer with verifiable data. To be fair though, they can’t actually answer with verifiable data.
On Surf’s Up, a debate flares up on and off over AVG. You’ll note they never answer the simple question: “Can you tell me what the outside revenue sources are for AVG that would help it avoid the Ponzi nature of ASD.” I’ve seen it many times, and NO ONE has posted a shred of evidence (although they will say “Go to the AVG Forum and Ask” or “Trust Us, there are external revenues sources.” The AVG Forum doesn’t answer — instead, they delete the question, as does teh ASD Forum. View those actions through the bias I describe above……and then it makes perfect sense…..after all, where else to find a better flock to fleece, other than the folks who still hold out hope for ASD…..
Entertained, at least we don’t have to worry about cenorship over here!!! A s I wrote “that not how it works” I know the fed freeze everything and somethings you didn’t even know you had!!! I said in a forum that I had farmers with huge farms under me I would hate for the day to come that there whole farm is frozen. I couldn’t live with myself knowing that what I as doing was illegal.
It’s a joke what these con man will say. but it must be tough to sell a “to good to be true” investment today.AVG is having a conference call tonight , get a guest on the line to get free “ad impressions” !!!!!
one hour ago over at surfs up it’s reported two people from asd were frozen!!! no names
well I would be frozen too if they froze my bank accounts!!!!
just kidding… I hope they get all the heavy hitters in this Ponzi… let them all suffer!!!!! LOL
It was further reported that one of them is also an AVG promoter………ooops!
In the days following the decline and fall of the Bowdoin empire, the phrase “due diligence” appeared with the regularity of a leitmotif, by the Andy apologists. When Andy’s criminal background and penchant for lying could no longer be denied or explained away, the phrase “due diligence” was trotted out, Andy, they said, had no obligation, legal or otherwise, to act honestly or ethically, nor was he required to tell the Members anything he didn’t want to tell them. People who said they would never have joined ASD if they’d known about Andy’s felony record or the fact that he’d never operated a successful business in his life were told “That’s not Andy’s fault, it was up to YOU to perform due diligence.”
Never mind the total absurdity of response, with all the secrecy surrounding AVG, how doTHEY respond to a person who wanting to perform the previously touted “due diligence” on AVG? Or is their official motto “You pays your money and you takes your chances”?
Marci,
I believe the motto is more properly “You pays your money, we takes your chances” (ie. we keep your money)
I sat in on a BizAdSplash meeting in Rochester NY this week at the Merchants Grill. A guy named Mike Palermo and a the disembodied voice of Bob Champion from Atlanta, assured me that M and M Mars and Delta Airlines were on board. These guys sound great to me. Im gonna show up next Tuesday and give them a whole bunch of cash because they seem like a real nice bunch of guys.
Gullabob