Prohibition Against Misuse of Treasury Names, Terms, Symbols, Stationery, Etc.
Section 333 of title 31 of the United States Code prohibits the misuse of, among other things, names, terms, symbols, stationery, and colorable imitations thereof, of the Department of the Treasury for business activities in a way which could be reasonably construed as falsely implying that such activities are in any way approved, endorsed, sponsored, or authorized by, or associated with, the Department of the Treasury. Despite this legal prohibition, many businesses mail solicitations are deliberately crafted to look like U.S. Treasury mailings. A typical mailing will appear to be a U.S. Treasury check by virtue of the phrase such as "to the order of [addressee]" and a graphic such as the Statue of Liberty (or an imitation) or a bald eagle. Here is what a typical mailing (94K JPG file, uploaded 1/29/98) might look like.
These mailers invariably contain disclaimers stating that the businesses are neither government agencies nor affiliated with any government agencies. However, section 333 provides that the use of any disclaimer(s) is legally irrelevant to the determination of whether the statute has been violated.
How You Can Help
We believe that such mailings are illegal under section 333. With the public's help, we have contacted several businesses to tell them about section 333 and request that they stop sending the mailings. To date, we have been successful. But, our continued success depends on your help. If you receive such a mailing, please send it to us at the following address:
Bureau of the Public Debt
799 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20239-0001
