🚀 go-pugleaf

Despite what the posters of "make money fast" and "easy cash" that are
making the rounds of various newsgroups may claim, these schemes *are*
ILLEGAL in both Canada and the U.S. and probably elsewhere, too (see below
vis-a-vis Canada and the U.S.).  If one has a responsible ISP, it may also
be grounds for suspending or cancelling the poster's account.  Bottom
line: don't participate, distribute or copy them!

==========================================================================
                EXTRACT FROM THE CANADIAN CRIMINAL CODE
 
Chain-letters
-------------

206. (1) Every one is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to
imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years who . . .
 
(e) conducts, manages or is a party to any scheme, contrivance or
operation of any kind by which any person, on payment of any sum of money,
or the giving of any valuable security, or by obligating himself to pay
any sum of money or give any valuable security, shall become entitled
under the scheme, contrivance or operation to receive from the person
conducting or managing the scheme, contrivance or operation, or any other
person, a larger sum of money or amount of valuable security than the sum
or amount paid or given, or to be paid or given, by reason of the fact
that other persons have paid or given,or obligated themselves to pay or
give any sum of money or valuable security under the scheme, contrivance
or operation;


Pyramid Schemes
---------------

55.1 (1) For the purposes of this section, "scheme of pyramid selling"
means a multi-level marketing plan whereby

(a) a participant in the plan gives consideration for the right to receive
compensation by reason of the recruitment into the plan of another
participant in the plan who gives consideration for the same right;

(b) a participant in the plan gives consideration, as a condition of
participating in the plan, for a specified amount of the product, other
than a specified amount of the product that is bought at the seller's cost
price for the purpose only of facilitating sales;

(c) a person knowingly supplies the product to a participant in the plan
in an amount that is commercially unreasonable; or

(d) a participant in the plan who is supplied with the product

  (i) does not have a buy-back guarantee that is exercisable on reasonable
  commercial terms or a right to return the product in saleable condition on
  reasonable commercial terms, or

  (ii) is not informed of the existence of the guarantee or right and the
  manner in which it can be exercised.

(2) No person shall establish, operate, advertise or promote a scheme of
pyramid selling.

(3) Any person who contravenes subsection (2) is guilty of an offence and
liable

(a) on conviction on indictment, to a fine in the discretion of the court
or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both; or

(b) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding twenty-five thousand
dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both.

=====================================================================

  [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."