Make Money Fast? Ask the Post Office
Chris Gunn
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NFIC (96 July 31) -- Many people have received chain letters in the mail.
Some letters suggest that you mail a dollar to everyone on a list, add your
name to the list, and then wait for money to start arriving in your mail
box. These letters have begun to show up on UseNet and InterNet, either as
postings to newsgroups or as unsolicited e-mail. Often they claim to be
completely legal and even quote postal regulations.
Don't you believe it. According to the United States Postal Inspection
Service, chainletters are "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 and mailing money to participate, violates
Title 18, United States Code, Section 1302, the Postal Lottery Statute."
The important thing to note is that it doesn't matter how the original
request is made, if money is mailed, then it's illegal.
To find out more about chain letters and other consumer frauds, visit the
US Postal Inspection Service website. To report a chainletter, turn it
over to your local Postal Inspector or Postmaster and write on the
envelope, "I received this in the mail and believe it may be illegal."
Log on the WebSite at http://www.fraud.org, or call 1-800-876-7060.
If you spot obviously illegal operations on the E-Ways, please
forward copies of the messages to NFIC at frau...@psinet.com.
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