Trump’s top Russia expert was placed on administrative leave — and escorted from the White House: report

According to a report from NBC, scam operations with names like Patriots Dynasty and US Patriots have been selling so-called "Trump Bucks" to fans of the recently indicted Donald Trump with a promise of growing rich -- except they are worth nothing.

NBC's Brandy Zadrozny and Corky Siemaszko are reporting that the Federal Trade Commission has confirmed receiving complaints about the scam and that the Better Business Bureau has given the three Colorado companies involved, Patriots Dynasty, Patriots Future and USA Patriots, an "F" rating with terible reviews pouring in.

According to the report, the companies are "peddling 'Trump Bucks,' which are emblazoned with photos of the former president, and advertising them online as a kind of golden ticket that will help propel Trump’s 2024 bid and make the 'real patriots' who support him rich when cashed in."

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However, as one buyer pointed out, he feels ripped off after taking them to the bank and finding they are worthless.

"John Amann told NBC News he bought $2,200 worth of Trump Bucks and other items over the past year only to discover they were worthless when he tried to cash them in at his local bank. So he’s gone on Twitter to warn other Trump supporters not to fall for this scam," the report states before adding, "Additionally, NBC News has found at least a dozen people like Amann who say they invested thousands of dollars after watching the pitches on Telegram and other websites that strongly suggested that Trump himself was endorsing these products."

Noting that there is no evidence that the former president is involved or even aware of the scam, NBC reports, "Repeated attempts to reach representatives for the companies by phone and email were unsuccessful. But Bank of America spokesman Bill Halldin said he’s heard reports from bank employees of customers coming in to exchange their Trump Bucks for actual cash, but the bank routinely turns them down."

According to Halldin, "It’s hard to put a number on how many people have come in."

As for the 77-year-old Amann, "There’s no way to cash out what I have."

You can read more here.