Readers of Unreported World News were the first to hear about the seamy – and un-Christian – underside of Larry Bates’ financial empire and precious metals dealings.

WREG, a local CBS station in Memphis, Bates’ hometown, ran a story about the situation with Bates and his company FAMC. Investigative reporter Keli Rabon brought public scrutiny of Bates’ unscrupulous business practices to a new level. The story may be repeated on other CBS affiliates in cities where Bates has spoken, including Dallas-Fort Worth.

Bates’ has not only refused to talk to many disgruntled clients but he refused repeated requests by Rabon for comments.

Once Unreported World News aired the Bates story, many other FAMC clients decided to share their stories publicly. Check the blog comments. Some claim to be former FAMC Consultants who saw this inside the company years ago.

Clients from across the country have reported difficulties with this company. Among those are widows who have trusted FAMC and who have had to wait many months to receive their gold purchases.

A 75 years old woman from Texas, was the widow of a Baptist minister. She and her new husband came under extreme duress over her trusting Bates with a significant portion of her retirement portfolio. She was new to the concept of using precious metals instead of paper money for financial protection. However, when she attended one of my prophecy meetings, she began to understand and be open to the idea that paper currency has no value in a debt-based economy. She also attended a Bates Perilous Times Seminar and even met Bates and could not believe “that nice man” held her money for seven months without delivering her metals. The attorney I hired kindly helped this widow.

Only after she and her husband contacted the Texas Attorney General and had an attorney write a letter demanding her money or gold, did Bates finally contact her and made her the offer of immediate shipment of her gold, or a refund.

Joanne Sternberg, a woman in her seventies from Whiting, N.J., tells another very disturbing story. Sternberg watched Bates on a Christian TV program and proceeded to send him the majority of her retirement money in October, 2008. She had been extremely distraught over not having received the thousands of dollars in precious metals that she ordered from Bates. When she recently sent me a thank you note for helping her finally receive her metals, she encouraged me to contact an agency she knows who scrutinizes dishonest Christian ministries. Sternberg lives nearly on just the proceeds from her small Social Security check.