The man who legally scammed thousands with the power of words.

Words have incredible power, and those who can skillfully chain them have the key to press the button in people’s minds that says “do it.”

This is the art of persuasion, and it’s what copywriters do every day. From social media ads to strategic signs in shops, we use the right words to lead people to take a specific action.

To illustrate the power of words, I would like to share with you the story of Steve Comisar.

A very clever advert

In the 1990s, Comisar was a notorious scammer who came up with a clever way to make money through sales.

Since solar energy was a buzzword at the time, he advertised an amazing new gadget in magazines and newspapers:

Solar-powered clothes dryer – only $49.95.

People across the USA bought into the idea (do you blame them?), and sent their money to get this incredible device that would help them cut bills, and have their clothes dry efficiently while saving the planet.

They waited anxiously for the mailman to deliver their new solar-powered clothes dryer, but when they received the parcel, they couldn’t believe their eyes.

The disappointment of their lives

It was just an average, run-off-the-mill clothesline, like those you can buy at any ironmongers. You can imagine their faces!

They tried contacting the seller because the device they expected had nothing to do with that clothesline.

However, Steve replied that what they received was exactly what he was advertising: The product was an actual drying device and it worked with solar energy!

The customers realised that they had been tricked in the most honest way, and they couldn’t sue the seller because, technically, the advert was truthful. The power of words!.

In the meantime, we can all imagine Steve laughing his lungs out while counting his money and patting himself on the back for coming up with such a smart idea.

This “scam” dodged legal charges, but fortunately, he was eventually sent to prison for other frauds.

Conclusion

Although this is foul play, I must admit that it was a clever move by Steve: He took advantage of the market trends — everyone was interested in solar power — and then, he only used words to paint a “deceitful” picture in customers’ minds.

Now, please don’t think that copywriters are scammers. We promise and then deliver, because that’s the ethical thing to do, and because we know that shortcuts don’t work in the long term. (And also because we don’t want to end up in prison).

If you need help creating messages that prompt your customers to take action, contact me at info@themarketingrobin.com and let me know about your plans.