AdSurfDaily Promo Cited Ties To Google, Kodak, Pepsi, NBC, USA Today, Starbucks And Other Prominent Advertisers
Promotional material for AdSurfDaily featured a photograph of Andy Bowdoin and claimed the company had advertising relationships with some of the top brands in the world.
Meanwhile, the document introduced readers to Golden Panda Ad Builder, referencing it as ASD’s “Chinese Site” and asking readers to specify if they’d like to advertise on the site.
The document was created on July 6, 2008, in Adobe Illustrator, and was converted to PDF format, according to its “Properties” function. It is possible that an earlier version of the document was in use before the July 6 version.
Among the major advertisers referenced were Google, Kodak, Starbucks, Quiznos Sub, Callaway Golf, Macy’s, Toshiba, NBC, Farmers Insurance, USA Today, Priceline.com and more. Individual logos of the companies were pictured.
A Secret Service Task Force quietly opened a probe into ASD on July 3, 2008. On July 7, just a day after the July 6 promo for ASD was created, an IRS/Secret Service Task member opened a free ASD account. On July 14, an IRS/Secret Service Task force member opened a paid account. A separate Task Force member funded the account by delivering a check to a Bank of America branch office in Orlando, Fla.
Despite claims ASD was home to famous, paid advertisers, ASD has not provided any documentation in court filings to substantiate the claims.
Promo for ASD references prominent brands in ASD customer base.
“This new approach to Internet advertising has businesses of all sizes, from small home
based businesses to large corporations such as Google, Starbucks, Kodak, etc., joining ASD,” the promotion said.
“Not only are there over 75,000 small businesses advertising with ASD, but now major corporations are as well. Remember, a part of the daily rebate comes from the revenue corporations pay to advertise with ASD. The following are just a few of these companies,” the promotion said, introducing 24 corporate logos from prominent companies.
The individual logos appeared on Page 10 of the document. Page 11 featured a photo of Andy Bowdoin and what purported to be his business biography, including references to Dale Carnegie and “the notorious Napoleon Hill.”
A White House tie also was claimed.
“In fact, AdSurfDaily President and CEO, Andy Bowdoin, was invited to Washington, D.C., in June, 2008, by United States President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to receive the Medal of Distinction, at the White House. This is a very special honor for his service and leadership contributions in business,” the document crowed.
Prosecutors said claims about Bowdoin’s White House ties were false. The Medal of Distinction is offered by the National Republican Congressional Committee for campaign donations to keep Republican members in Congress. The “medal” signifies a person’s ability to write a check for what amounts to banquet tickets.
At the same time, the July 6 document references a so-called “Chinese site,” instructing readers to specify if they’d like to advertise on it.
Members were told to provide a “[s]hort description of where you would like the funds to be placed (English site, Spanish Site, Chinese Site),” and to specify “which promotion is running.”
Within days, however, Bowdoin distanced himself from Golden Panda Ad Builder, the so-called Chinese site. During the same time period, it was revealed that Golden Panda Ad Builder president Clarence Busby had been accused of investment fraud in the 1990s by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Read the July 6 promo for ASD. To see the “Properties” showing the date in Adobe Reader, click on “File” and select “Properties.”
Patrick please “connet the dots” this falsehood that Clance and andy met on a fishing trip is so B.S. I remember Andy telling us on a Monday night opp. call he ran into and old friend that was down on his luck and he gave him some ad packs!! just so happen the same guy grand daughter is Dawn the new office manager!!! Didn’t Andy get himself in trouble, the second felon in Georgia? Isn’t Clance from Georgia? come on Patrick do your magic!!!
Hi Mark,
Clarence Busby is from Georgia. His story was that Golden Panda was born in April 2008, on a Georgia fishing lake with Andy Bowdoin.
Dawn Stowers is Busby’s daughter.
Busby got in trouble with the SEC in the 1990s for selling a prime-bank scheme that offered enormous returns. A judge enjoined him from breaking securities laws, and the SEC waived the penalty.
Bowdoin’s securities run-ins were in Alabama, although the company — Mobile International — leased lavish offices in Atlanta, according to victims. It also leased a Mercedes and a Lincoln Continental with investors’ money.
In July 2008, Bowdoin purchased a Lincoln with nearly $50,000 in ASD money. A month later, he sent his Alabama victims a check for $100.
On a side note, Karl Dahlstrom, who is linked to Pro Advocate Group, which has a tie to AVG, was accused in the 1990s of using investors’ money to purchase automobiles. He was sentenced to 78 months in prison for pulling off a securities scheme.
Patrick
This notion that Clarence and Andy never met before the “fishing trip” when Andy discussed Golden Panda with Clarence is just another one of Andy’s whopper’s.
This notion that 120,000+ members in ASD was a huge attraction to main stream corporation’s seeking out ASD to advertise is a joke. A 120,000+ membership organization to corporate advertiser’s is like comparing a flea to an elephant in market share. NO major corporation would give them the time of day to advertise with ASD.
Busby told us that he had a partner. I thought at the time he refered to him as his son, “Andy”. We are just finding out about the legal issues Busby is involved in due to a property purchase and lack of contact/communication in several months.
How can anyone trust people like this? Had we known any of this before we bought this house, we would have stayed clear of any dealings with him. We have learned a very valuable lessaon, if it sounds too good to be true, it most likey is. An old saying that still applies.
honesty,
You posted a while back regarding your house situation with Busby. Is everything working out OK?
No. We had to go through a long list of people to get a GOOD phone number. Oddly, we spoke with him just today. Not sure where he is and we didn’t ask. He basicaly told us we had not tried to contact him, would not let us get a word in and was in a hurry. Not sure what will happen but we have learned a very expensive lesson thanks to him.
….sorry to hear that. Others have learned expensive lessons at the hands of Busby the con man previously…….
Quick note to readers:
For more context on the back-and-forth between honesty and Entertained,
see this post:
https://patrickpretty.com/2009/01/31/bolo-clarence-busby-reader-puzzled-by-rico-defendants-absence/
And also this one:
https://patrickpretty.com/2009/01/30/breaking-news-bowdoin-busby-garner-boa-sued-anew/
Patrick
And more people will learn “lessons” from him in the days to come if the rumor that he’s the owner of Biz As Splash is correct…
The more I see the more I smell a rat.
[…] Names of other famous companies also were used by ASD promoters — names such as Kodak, Starbucks, Quiznos Sub, Callaway Golf, Macy’s, Toshiba, NBC, Farmers Insurance, USA Today, Priceline.com and more. Today comes word that a Florida man has been convicted in a scheme carried out on eBay, one of the most famous websites and brands in the world. […]
[…] See story that ran on the PP Blog on March 15, 2009. […]