Celebrity endorsements made me trust them

I saw a well-known conservative commentator promoting Augusta Precious Metals on his show. I figured if someone that prominent was endorsing them, they must be legitimate. I called the number on the screen and was immediately connected with a "senior portfolio advisor." He walked me through a presentation about hyperinflation, the national debt, and how the dollar was going to collapse. By the end of the call I was terrified. I rolled over $85,000 from my TSP. They sold me gold and silver coins described as "exclusive" pieces with "built-in protection." When I had them independently appraised six months later, I discovered the markup was approximately 95% over the actual metal value. The coins were standard items you could buy from any online dealer. The celebrity endorser was simply reading ad copy for a fee. That realization hit harder than the financial loss.