About this episode
Performance artist and social experimenter Patrick Combs recounts his audacious experiment involving a junk mail "check" for $95,093.35 that he successfully deposited into his bank account, exposing significant flaws in the financial system. Combs explains how he received a realistic-looking promotional check as part of a marketing campaign and decided to test banking verification procedures by attempting to deposit it. His amazement when the bank processed the deposit reveals how easily trusted financial institutions can be exploited through their own procedural weaknesses. The conversation explores themes of corporate responsibility, consumer manipulation, and the absurdities of modern banking practices that prioritize efficiency over security. Combs discusses the legal and ethical implications of his experiment, which demonstrated vulnerabilities that more malicious actors could potentially exploit for actual fraud. The episode examines how corporations use deceptive marketing practices and how individual citizens can challenge systemic problems through creative action and social experimentation. Art Bell and Combs explore the unexpected consequences of the experiment, including media attention, legal complexities, and questions about corporate accountability. This fascinating case study demonstrates how one person's unconventional thinking can illuminate serious institutional flaws while raising important questions about trust, deception, and responsibility in modern economic systems.