Can You Spare $6 Trillion?

[Why Syzygy]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Ohio Joe (a host of the Creative Speculation group).

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/18/world/europe/italy-arrests-8-in-fake-us-treasury-bonds-scam.html?_r=2

February 17, 2012
Brother, Can You Spare $6 Trillion?
By RACHEL DONADIO

ROME — The Italian police on Friday arrested eight people on charges related to the seizure of $6 trillion in fake United States Treasury bonds, in a mysterious scheme that stretched from Hong Kong to Switzerland to the southern Italian region of Basilicata.

The value of the seized bonds is in the neighborhood of half of the United States’ entire public debt of $15.36 trillion, but only the uninitiated would have accepted them as real securities. Rather than counterfeit, they were what officials call fictitious, printed in 6,000 units of $1 billion each, a denomination that does not exist and the equivalent of $3 bills, American officials said.

In a statement on Friday, the United States Embassy in Rome said its experts had examined the bonds, which bore the date 1934, and determined that they were fictitious and apparently part of a scheme intended to defraud Swiss banks. It was unclear whether the bonds were ever used for that purpose.

The arrests on Friday, on fraud and related charges, were part of a broader investigation of organized crime in the Basilicata region, the instep of Italy’s boot, prosecutors in Potenza said in an e-mailed statement.

[Ohio Joe]

1. I don't see the Creative Speculation part of this...

Can you elaborate?

[greyl]

2. Maybe because of Rachel Donadio being the source? nt

[Ohio Joe]

3. Is that it?

I must admit, I've never heard of her before... I'll go see what I can find.

[Why Syzygy]

4. good grief

There's nothing wrong with the source. Ms. Donadio is the Bureau Chief for NYT in ROME. That's her beat.

Honestly I can't believe you fell for that logical fallacy tossed out (because there's nothing else to *attack*).

It almost stuck I guess :C

It belongs in this group precisely because there's no (viable) counter to the story. Yet. I've been debunking this rumor for MONTHS! And now, here it is reported in the NYT! Whatever is up with that, I think it's something Creative!

[OnTheOtherHand]

5. huh?

It belongs in this group precisely because there's no (viable) counter to the story. Yet. I've been debunking this rumor for MONTHS! And now, here it is reported in the NYT! Whatever is up with that, I think it's something Creative!

Not to take anything away from your months of work, but I can't tell what "rumor" you are referring to. Did the US Embassy not state what it is reported to have stated? Were eight people not arrested?

ETA: And how does the absence of a &quot viable) counter" qualify the story for Creative Speculation?

[Ohio Joe]

7. One again... Why does this belong here?

I have no idea what part of this story falls into CS, it seems straight forward to me. I don't know what you have debunked, you have not been doing it here. Why does this belong here?

[greyl]

6. I still don't know. :)

I was just taking a wild guess.

[Ohio Joe]

8. Locking

I do not know why this is here but it does not seem at the moment to meet SoP. If the OP (or anyone else) would like to PM me and let me know, I will gladly unlock it.