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Beware of Strawman Fraud Scams

This document summarizes the "redemption/strawman/bond fraud" scheme. It claims that the US government controls bank accounts for citizens that can be accessed by submitting paperwork, but this is untrue. The scheme uses fraudulent financial documents and legal terminology to appear legitimate. Individuals are warned not to believe claims about secret bank accounts, avoiding taxes, or that financial obligations can be resolved by writing phrases like "acceptance for value" on documents.

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477 views1 page

Beware of Strawman Fraud Scams

This document summarizes the "redemption/strawman/bond fraud" scheme. It claims that the US government controls bank accounts for citizens that can be accessed by submitting paperwork, but this is untrue. The scheme uses fraudulent financial documents and legal terminology to appear legitimate. Individuals are warned not to believe claims about secret bank accounts, avoiding taxes, or that financial obligations can be resolved by writing phrases like "acceptance for value" on documents.

Uploaded by

marcelyaseen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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  • Redemption/Strawman/Bond Fraud: Explains the nature of fraudulent financial documents associated with redemption/strawman schemes and offers tips to avoid falling victim to these scams.

7/10/2020 Redemption / Strawman / Bond Fraud — FBI

Redemption / Strawman / Bond


Fraud
Proponents of this scheme claim that the U.S. government or the Treasury Department control bank accounts—often
referred to as “U.S. Treasury Direct Accounts”—for all U.S. citizens that can be accessed by submitting paperwork
with state and federal authorities. Individuals promoting this scam frequently cite various discredited legal theories
and may refer to the scheme as “Redemption,” “Strawman,” or “Acceptance for Value.” Trainers and websites will
often charge large fees for “kits” that teach individuals how to perpetrate this scheme. They will often imply that others
have had great success in discharging debt and purchasing merchandise such as cars and homes. Failures to
implement the scheme successfully are attributed to individuals not following instructions in a specific order or not
filing paperwork at correct times.

This scheme predominately uses fraudulent financial documents that appear to be legitimate. These documents are
frequently referred to as “bills of exchange,” “promissory bonds,” “indemnity bonds,” “offset bonds,” “sight drafts,” or
“comptrollers warrants.” In addition, other official documents are used outside of their intended purpose, like IRS
forms 1099, 1099-OID, and 8300. This scheme frequently intermingles legal and pseudo legal terminology in order to
appear lawful. Notaries may be used in an attempt to make the fraud appear legitimate. Often, victims of the scheme
are instructed to address their paperwork to the Secretary of the Treasury.

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.

https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/redemption-strawman-bond-fraud 1/1

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