From mlmmny@az.com Thu Oct 8 15:18:00 1998 Received: from lucy.az.com ([204.201.18.52]:1065 "EHLO www.az.com" ident: "NO-IDENT-SERVICE") by halifax.chebucto.ns.ca with ESMTP id <34200-484>; Thu, 8 Oct 1998 15:17:29 -0300 Received: from default (seawesta-65.az.com [204.201.18.65]) by www.az.com (8.8.8/8.8.8) with SMTP id LAA22310 for ; Thu, 8 Oct 1998 11:17:42 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from mlmmny@az.com) Message-ID: <003701bdf2e9$051e1040$4112c9cc@default> From: "KTV" To: "Norman L. DeForest" Subject: Re: Illegal pyramid scheme, "MONEY AND FUN!!!" (fwd) Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 11:24:13 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Return-Path: X-Orcpt: rfc822;af380@chebucto.ns.ca Status: RO X-Status: Well first of all i would like to report that this particular letter isnt a chain letter. Second of all it doesnt seem to be working so we are discontinuing all mailing as of today. -----Original Message----- From: Norman L. DeForest To: KTV Date: Thursday, October 08, 1998 6:12 AM Subject: Re: Illegal pyramid scheme, "MONEY AND FUN!!!" (fwd) > >On Thu, 8 Oct 1998, KTV wrote: > >> Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 05:32:38 -0700 >> From: KTV >> To: "Norman L. DeForest" >> Subject: Re: Illegal pyramid scheme, "MONEY AND FUN!!!" (fwd) >> >> First of all i would like to know how this money making program is illegal. >> I am selling something and people can choose to buy it or not but it at >> their discression. Making money on the internet is just another way to make >> money just as if i were selling these reports on the street. > >OK, here is a direct quote from the website of the United States Postal >Service at: > > http://www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect/chainlet.htm > >(As seen by the lynx text-only browser.) > > > > Inspection Service Seal United States > Postal Inspection Service > > > Chain Letters > _________________________________________________________________ > > A chain letter is a "get rich quick" scheme that promises that your > mail box will soon be stuffed full of cash if you decide to > participate. You're told you can make thousands of dollars every month > if you follow the detailed instructions in the letter. > > A typical chain letter includes names and addresses of several > individuals whom you may or may not know. You are instructed to send a > certain amount of money--usually $5--to the person at the top of the > list, and then eliminate that name and add yours to the bottom. You > are then instructed to mail copies of the letter to a few more > individuals who will hopefully repeat the entire process. The letter > promises that if they follow the same procedure, your name will > gradually move to the top of the list and you'll receive money -- lots > of it. > > There's at least one problem with chain letters. They're illegal if > they request money or other items of value and promise a substantial > return to the participants. Chain letters are a form of gambling, and > sending them through the mail (or delivering them in person or by > computer, but mailing money to participate) violates Title 18, United > States Code, Section 1302, the Postal Lottery Statute. (Chain letters > that ask for items of minor value, like picture postcards or recipes, > may be mailed, since such items are not things of value within the > meaning of the law.) > > Recently, high-tech chain letters have begun surfacing. They may be > disseminated over the Internet, or may require the copying and mailing > of computer disks rather than paper. Regardless of what technology is > used to advance the scheme, if the mail is used at any step along the > way, it is still illegal. > > The main thing to remember is that a chain letter is simply a bad > investment. You certainly won't get rich. You will receive little or > no money. The few dollars you may get will probably not be as much as > you spend making and mailing copies of the chain letter. > > Chain letters don't work because the promise that all participants in > a chain letter will be winners is mathematically impossible. Also, > many people participate, but do not send money to the person at the > top of the list. Some others create a chain letter that lists their > name numerous times--in various forms with different addressee. So, in > reality, all the money in a chain is going to one person. > > 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. > > Participating in a chain letter is a losing proposition. Turn over any > chain letter you receive that asks for money or other items of value > to your local postmaster or nearest Postal Inspector. Write on the > mailing envelope of the letter or in a separate transmittal letter, "I > received this in the mail and believe it may be illegal." > > > >Take note of the second last paragraph above. > >> I would thank you not to send replies of this threatening nature to me or > >There were NO threats in my message whatsoever. > >> anyone else involved in sales strategies such as this. This program, when >> introduced to me was shown as being legal and completely legitimate. If you >> had taken time to read the instructions, you would have seen that for >> yourself and maybe even decided to participate. >> Thank you again for your unwanted and completely rude email. >> -- Concerned salesperson >> -----Original Message----- >[snip] >> >http://www.usps.gov/websites/depart/inspect/chainlet.htm or >> >http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/1302.html . >> > >> >It is also in violation of Section 206 (1) (e) of the Criminal Code of >> >Canada which you can see at >> >http://insight.mcmaster.ca/org/efc/pages/law/cc/cc-text.html . >[snip] > >Besides the above addresses, you might also want to check out the >Competition Act of Canada at the Justice Department, Government of Canada >website: > > http://canada.justice.gc.ca/ftp/en/laws/chap/c/c%2D34.txt > >It, too, bans pyramid schemes such as yours. > >Another informative site is: > > http://www.wco.com/~rteeter/pyramid.html > > >Norman De Forest http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~af380/Profile.html >af380@chebucto.ns.ca [=||=] (A Speech Friendly Site) >......................................................................... >"I look at the roses through world colored glasses." > -- Ron Schwarz in news.admin.net-abuse.email >......................................................................... >Spammers, see: http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~af380/Profile.html#Contact >Spammees, see: http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~af380/Antispam.html > >