ameastre
04-25-2008, 08:29 PM
Seems to be the season for scams. Today I received a letter regarding a $1 pass scheme. Basically tells people to send $1 to each person on the list and big money will come back.
I called the guy who sent me the letter (Google search on name and location) and apparently he spent over $200 in participating. He thought it was legit because there was a website that looked okay on the surface and the letter he received mentioned something about a postal code.
Sorry to break it to anyone trying to defend these letters, they are not legal. Here's a quote from the USPS:
Do not be fooled if the chain letter is used to sell inexpensive reports on credit, mail order sales, mailing lists, or other topics. The primary purpose is to take your money, not to sell information. "Selling" a product does not ensure legality. Be doubly suspicious if there's a claim that the U.S. Postal Service or U.S. Postal Inspection Service has declared the letter legal. This is said only to mislead you. Neither the Postal Service nor Postal Inspectors give prior approval to any chain letter.
http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/sweepstakesfraud/ChainLetters.aspx
Overall, the guy seemed genuinely surprised and even gave me his email address so I could update him. I just hope he takes the lesson seriously and does more research the next time someone offers a money making scheme.
I called the guy who sent me the letter (Google search on name and location) and apparently he spent over $200 in participating. He thought it was legit because there was a website that looked okay on the surface and the letter he received mentioned something about a postal code.
Sorry to break it to anyone trying to defend these letters, they are not legal. Here's a quote from the USPS:
Do not be fooled if the chain letter is used to sell inexpensive reports on credit, mail order sales, mailing lists, or other topics. The primary purpose is to take your money, not to sell information. "Selling" a product does not ensure legality. Be doubly suspicious if there's a claim that the U.S. Postal Service or U.S. Postal Inspection Service has declared the letter legal. This is said only to mislead you. Neither the Postal Service nor Postal Inspectors give prior approval to any chain letter.
http://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/sweepstakesfraud/ChainLetters.aspx
Overall, the guy seemed genuinely surprised and even gave me his email address so I could update him. I just hope he takes the lesson seriously and does more research the next time someone offers a money making scheme.