PICTURE STORY: 2008 PDF Promo For ASD Claimed Google, Pepsi, Starbucks, Quiznos And Other Famous Companies Were ASD Advertisers: Is Cropped Image In Promo From Same Original Of Bowdoin That Appears On ‘Andy’s Army’ Fundraising Site?
Do a purported fundraising site for accused Ponzi schemer Andy Bowdoin and a 2008 promo for AdSurfDaily that claimed famous companies had hopped aboard the ASD train have anything in common?
The fundraising site, which has missed two advertised launch dates this month, uses this photo of Bowdoin:
The 2008 promo for ASD, which appeared in PDF format, uses this cropped photo:
Here is a screenshot from the PDF that features the cropped photo of Bowdoin.
Background shadows and images in both the photo on the fundraising site and in the 2008 PDF suggest the images came from the same original or were taken from the same staged scene.
Among the claims in the 2008 PDF were that famous companies such as Google, Kodak, Starbucks, Quiznos Sub, Callaway Golf, Macy’s, Toshiba, NBC, Farmers Insurance, USA Today, Priceline.com and others were ASD advertisers.
No evidence has surfaced that any of the companies were ASD advertisers.
Bowdoin took the 5th Amendment at a 2008 evidentiary hearing he requested. ASD did not call any of the companies whose logos were featured in the PDF promo to the witness stand. Among the claims in the promo was this one:
“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 logos of 24 famous companies appeared below the claim.
Bowdoin was indicted last year on federal charges of wire fraud, securities fraud and selling unregistered securities.
See story that ran on the PP Blog on March 15, 2009.
Here is a link to the full PDF:
I remember one of the pitches saying that if you didn’t have a small business, they’d come up with one, so you could buy advertising for a company you don’t have.
Why not make up many many fictitious advertisers?
At this stage, it would probably be easier and quicker to look back and decide what WAS entirely true about Bowdoin and AdSurfDaily.
As it stands, it appears the only “fact” which is 100% accurate is that his name is, indeed “Bowdoin”
Everything else is either embellished or a half truth.
Yeah. I attended one of their rallies in California(Andy was NOT in attendance) and I remember that. A “friend” pitched ASD to me and as politely as possible I told him NFW!He had planned on dumping $10,000 into it on Aug 4, 2008, but luckily changed his mind…!
I heard of several people who put in $50,000 or more. One person was reported to have an ‘investment in advertising’ of $250,000. No wonder Andy had offshore millions.