$5,000 “DOGE Checks" Scam Revealed! - Bulwark Takes

Summary

Bulwark Takes Podcast Summary
Episode: "$5,000 'DOGE Checks' Scam Revealed!"
Release Date: June 4, 2025

Introduction to the Scam Pack

In the June 4, 2025 episode of Bulwark Takes, host Sam Stein is joined by Andrew Egger, author of Morning Shot, to delve into the intricacies of a recent scam pack exploiting political fundraising mechanisms. The discussion centers around a deceptive campaign promising $5,000 in Dogecoin to unsuspecting individuals, highlighting the broader issues of fraudulent practices within political financing.

Unveiling the $5,000 DOGE Checks Scam

Andrew Egger provides a comprehensive breakdown of the scam:

Andrew Egger [01:13]: "The whole idea of a scam pack is they're bringing in money, saying they're going to use it to fight political battles, but they're mostly just spending it on themselves."

Egger explains that the scam involves sending out messages claiming recipients have earned a $5,000 Dogecoin check, prompting them to act quickly to receive the funds. However, the reality is far from genuine:

Andrew Egger [02:02]: "You earned that $5,000 doge check. Say yes before it's gone... Well, that's not a real thing."

Sam Stein likens the scam to classic frauds, emphasizing its blatant nature:

Sam Stein [02:57]: "That's such a good analogy... it's really straight up fraud... it's malicious and bad."

Affiliations and Origins of the Scam

The scam is orchestrated by a group masquerading as "Women for America's Freedom," previously associated with the website atwomenforamerica.org. Egger uncovers troubling connections to established political figures:

Andrew Egger [06:52]: "The president of the PAC, Mary Vote, is a senior vice president at the Heritage Foundation for Communications... Carolyn Levitt, who was a former Trump campaign staffer."

Despite attempts to distance themselves from these figures, the Heritage Foundation denies any affiliation:

Andrew Egger [06:59]: "The Heritage Foundation reached out today after we published the piece. They said Mary Vote is not in any way affiliated with this organization."

Further investigation reveals Thomas Datweiler's involvement—a figure with a questionable reputation tied to multiple fraudulent activities:

Andrew Egger [08:25]: "His whole rap sheet includes connections to George Santos and other dubious campaign finance abuses."

Broader Implications on Campaign Finance

Sam Stein expands the conversation to the systemic issues within campaign financing, highlighting how such scam packs exploit loopholes:

Sam Stein [09:29]: "Someone gets good at standing up these generic sounding organizations that build up email lists to raise money... they prey on donors and spend very little on actual politics."

Stein criticizes the current regulatory environment, arguing that enforcement is insufficient and largely delegated to fundraising platforms like ActBlue and WinRed:

Sam Stein [05:04]: "A more honest and effective campaign finance system with actual regulations would crack down on these groups more."

Conclusion and Call to Action

The episode culminates with a strong call to action for listeners to remain vigilant and proactive in combating such scams. Sam Stein urges the audience to report suspicious activities to Bulwark's tips line:

Sam Stein [10:15]: "If you see something, say something. We have a tips line at thebulwark.com/tips. We love blowing these people up."

Andrew Egger and Sam Stein emphasize the importance of public awareness and regulatory reform to prevent the proliferation of fraudulent political fundraising schemes. They encourage listeners to subscribe to Bulwark's platforms for continued insights and updates on combating political scams.

Key Takeaways:

Mechanism of the Scam: Fraudulent organizations masquerade as political groups, promising financial rewards (e.g., $5,000 Dogecoin) to solicit personal information or donations.
Misuse of Affiliations: Scammers exploit the names and reputations of legitimate political figures and organizations to lend credibility to their false promises.
Systemic Vulnerabilities: Current campaign finance regulations are inadequate in preventing such scams, highlighting the need for stricter oversight and enforcement.
Public Vigilance: Increased awareness and proactive reporting by individuals are crucial in identifying and dismantling these fraudulent operations.
Call for Reform: There is a pressing need for comprehensive campaign finance reform to address and close loopholes exploited by scam packs.

Notable Quotes:

Andrew Egger [01:13]: "They are claiming they're going to fight political battles but are mostly spending on themselves."
Sam Stein [02:57]: "It's really straight up fraud... it's malicious and bad."
Sam Stein [09:29]: "They prey on donors and spend very little on actual politics that they pledge to do."
Sam Stein [10:15]: "If you see something, say something. We have a tips line at thebulwark.com/tips."

This episode of Bulwark Takes sheds light on the deceptive practices within political fundraising, urging listeners to remain informed and engaged in safeguarding the integrity of political financing.

Transcript

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Andrew Egger (0:25)

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Sam Stein (0:46)

Hey, Sam Stein managing Under the bulwark here, joined by Andrew Egger, author of Morning Shot, who has a doozy of a morning shot this morning. We can call it a morning shot shot in the morning. It's about scam packs, specifically one scam pack, which is kind of my thing. I love writing about scam packs, reading about scam packs. We're going to get into it before we do subscribe to the feed. All right, Andrew, tell us about this scam pack that you uncovered and what exactly is so scammy about it.

Andrew Egger (1:13)

So this is for people who aren't kind of in the know this. The whole idea of a scam pack is they're they're bringing in money. They are saying they're going to use it to, you know, fight political battles. And they're mostly just spending it on operating the pack, which is basically giving themselves kickbacks, treating themselves to various sort of luxury, you know, niceties, goodies, different things, not actually fighting the political fight that they're, that they're saying they're going to do. So parties kind of hate them because they take money away from what would otherwise be, you know, actual party activities. Voters tend to hate them as well because they are scams. The one today though is kind of remarkably shameless. Like even among the scam packs, I mean, I don't know how you felt about it, Sam. You've spent more time kind of just like getting a thick skin to these things. But let me just read you a little bit about.

Sam Stein (2:01)

Sure.

Andrew Egger (2:02)

Here's, here's the text message from this from this group. You earned that $5,000 doge check. Say yes before it's gone. Well, that's interesting. There are no $5,000 doge checks. That's not a real thing. Let's find out more. All right, click through the link. Doge saved you $1 trillion and you said no. Our records show you may have said no to your Trump savings check. This can't be right. This isn't a handout. It's your hard earned money that corrupt bureaucrats stole from you. You only have until midnight to update your response. Oh, my gosh. The. The bureaucrats were stealing my money. $5,000 doge check. Trump wants to give me back my money that bureaucrats stole, and all I have to do is sign on the dotted line here and maybe. What's this? Give a donation to this. I mean, it's, it's really remarkable because it's, I mean, really what you're working with here is like one of those old, like, Nigerian princes scam type stories, like, give me a little money now and you're gonna get a lot of money later. But it's.