Hoffmeister was partly right... at least. The Pacific Southwest Bank flier, "Keeping your money safe from Year 2000 fraud," doesn't seem to be anti-Y2K propoganda. I called up the HQ and they faxed a copy right over to me. I'd reproduce it for you all, but it is copyrighted 1998 by Bankers Systems, Inc, St. CLoud, MN (9/15/98). Instead, I'll just summarize it and you're going to have to take my word on it (or not). I also looked over that Army PPT show, this is interesting as this document was created 03/01/99 when Koskinen was about to tell us all the good news. More interesting documents at that army web site, but a username and password are required to access more interesting titles.

The Pacific Southwest flier warns customers of potential con artists who may try to prey on the unwitting. The basic warning is to watch out for con artists who want you to take your money out of the bank and give it to them for investment, safe-keeping, etc. Problematic statements are exactly as follows:

Common schemes con artists use to swindle money:

Convincing consumers that the dire predictions regarding loss of financial security due to Year 2000 problems are true ... Selling books or subscriptions to magazines that supposedly contain information on "surviving" the "crisis"

If there are any attorneys reading this post, I would like to know if Pacific Southwest customers (who hold on to this flyer) could sue PS Bank if financial security is lost due to Year 2000 Problems? I would also like to know if Ed Yourdon and other authors could sue PS Bank if PS Bank customers decided not to buy Y2K books based on this brochure? Maybe, the copy-writer had a bad day or, maybe, his/her significant other was bugging them about preps and they needed to vent a little. Obviously, Pacific Southwest Bank is going to have to answer for this.

In general, the focus of the brochure is about protecting oneself from fraud: don't give out your account and/or credit card information, don't make hasty decisions, etc. Practically speaking, preps for Y2K do require quick decision-making. But there is a difference between quick and hasty, it is similar to the distinction between prudence and foolishness. One is a virtue; the other is a vice (inadequate action).

I have myself been swindled by buying subscriptions to magazines that never arrived (this was quite a popular scam at my alma mater and other schools across the country), so the subscription thing is a problem. What I believe they are talking about is a subscription scam as opposed to an actual subscription to real information. I think that Y2Knewswire is a little hot under the collar and took this too personally at a time when they are under the magnifying glass. The thing about books, however, is just very unusual... to say the least.

Finally, the PS Bank flier does briefly mention potential Year 2000 problems and the potential of those problems effecting PS Bank's customer accounts. They remind customers that deposits are insured, inform customers that they have back-up records, and suggest that these problems would be corrected with the back-up records. I don't particularly like their word choice of "could" (as oppossed to "will") in referring to the possible use of back-up records to correct things. But I am really picky about some of my word choices (despite my apparent need for an editor and spell checker).

I don't believe that Pacific Southwest Bank officials are following an agenda to mislead their customers. I think they are trying to arm their customers with information. They may also want very much to stay in business after January 1, 2000. Myself, I would like to know why they felt this flier was appropriate and why they mailed it out. Maybe, one of you might ask the PR person there: Pet Townson. Her no. is 1-512-889-7999. You might also ask for a copy for yourself. I like to think of these litle documents as souvenirs of an interesting time.

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), April 16, 1999

Answers

Stan, thanks for the effort.

-- Hoffmeister (hoff_meister@my-dejanews.com), April 16, 1999.

Send your money to me at the 1st 2000EOD Bank - The Millennium Bank (tm).

I have opened my own bank using an abacus, a ledger and three solar powered calculators - guaranteed y2k compliant.

I have plenty of paper and plenty of pens and a nice dolly bird teller, who is also VERY compliant (if you know what I mean... ;) )

I guarantee your money is safer with me than Citibank - I already have a $950,000,000 head start on them for example.

We have no problem with imported data either as we don't have any data.

Check us out - FDICK insured too!!!

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), April 17, 1999.