MOH Forum: A Postal-Mail Chain Letter?

A Postal-Mail Chain Letter?

Posted By:
Maegan
in Tampa, FL - USA
Nov 14, 2004

I received this chain letter in my mailbox:

Dear Friend,
Greetings: I am a retired attorney. A few years ago a man came to me with a letter. He asked me to verify the fact that this was legal to do. I told him I would review it and get back to him. When I first red the letter my client brought me, I thought it was some "off-the-wall" idea to make money. A week and a half later we met in my office to discuss the issue. I told him the letter he originally brought me was not 100% legal. My client then asked me to later it to make it perfectly legal. I asked him to make one small change in the letter.

***
It goes on for another 2 pages about how if you send $1 to the 6 names on the list & you will make $800,000.00 in just 3 months. You pay for a list of names to send letters to. I KNOW this is a scam. I just can't figure out how I got it. It came to me at my married name (junk-mail tends to come to my maiden name), & it came to my actual house address. (My driver's license lists my PO Box & if you look me up at the DMV, the physical address is actually my prior residence...haven't had time to change it yet.) The phone & electric aren't registered in my name, they're registered to my husband. (There's not a water bill, we have a well.)

What I wanna know is: How did this come to me, with my correct name at my current physical address??? The 'person' who sent the letter is: Mr. Louis Jordan/1234 Shakespeare Avenue/Apt # 2E/Bronx, NY 10452

Also, a co-worker recently had someone slip this same letter under his door at his apartment building...Anyone hear anything about this??

Category: Scams; Replies: 1759

Comments

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Dixie	Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 \| 08:59 AM Wow it stinks like a rotten old man in this forum....like a fantasy nursing home..in Hell....Haters Haters Haters Haters........
Cranky Media Guy	Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 \| 01:54 PM Dixie said: "Why would you treat me that way??you dont know me...I know this site is monitored...I guess your fantasy world is this forum....at least your SOMEBODY...in here....at home your covered in chip crumbs with eyes black from the computer...living in stench and filth of your own existance....you know its true." So, since we don't know each other, I shouldn't make judgments about you, but apparently it's perfectly fine for YOU to completely invent details of my life? Fascinating. In what way have you been mistreated, may I ask? If you have any FACTS about chain letters, please articulate them. The rest of this is utter nonsense.
TG	Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 \| 07:11 PM I'm still waiting for somebody -anybody- to come to the table and report about their chain mail "success" (or lack thereof) -whatever the results. I don't mean spewing garbage (yankin our chain comes to mind), but just what the honest to God results were. Greg?...Hows your chain mail going? Who else has tried this? Can anybody report ANYTHING as to the status of their mailings? Can't we get any facts around here? I'm not advocating this business, but nor do I want to bury my head in the sand. Face it. Some folks are gona run with this, and some folks might make a few bucks. I want to know what your ROR was. How many you sent? How often they came in, and so on. You know, Facts. I am not being sarcastic or baiting. This site is for information sharing. So lets have it... ? ? ?
Cranky Media Guy	Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 \| 01:26 AM You raise perfectly valid questions, TG. The fact that we never get any reports of actual RESULTS from chain letters should raise some red flags in your mind, I'd say. Just so you know, it IS possible for the person who STARTS a chain letter to come out ahead (it isn't legal but it's possible). What is NOT possible is for all the participants to come out ahead as chain letters always claim can happen, for obvious reasons. Any profit that ANYONE sees HAS to come from other participants who LOSE THEIR MONEY. There is no other source of money in a chain.
Dixie of the south	Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 \| 01:42 PM Well Cranky Im just using an analogy based on the fact that you always have your two cents to put in....You must spend an awful amount of time on the Comp.....And TG it looks like you are doubting your own claims by begging for results..Yall are both wanting to use the letter as well...you wont admit it though ...your just waiting for evidence of success...then youl be busting the doors at your local Post Office...You can be holier than thou all you want..what it comes down to is..DONT KNOCK IT TILL YOUVE TRIED IT AND SINCE YOUR TOO GOODY GOODY OR IN DOUBT YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT LIKE US!!! But dont hate...unless you got good reason or info...If you had info you would be able to prove it doesnt work but you cant so quit trying......
Cranky Media Guy	Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 \| 02:06 PM Those last three postings under this name are NOT from me. That's probably pretty obvious but I thought I should point it out anyway. In lieu of offering any actual FACTS, the True Believers are now resorting to putting words in the mouths of others.
TG	Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 \| 02:15 PM I know they werent your posts but I really would like someone to post some results so that we can try it as well...ya know??
TG	Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 \| 02:19 PM I have been wanting to try it from the beginning...and I will eventually if I get some evidince that it really works...Please tell me Cranky what was your ROR???
TG	Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 \| 02:30 PM Ok Cranky...I have always done as you said to do....I will try...for you.
Charybdis in Hell Member	Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 \| 03:00 PM Dixie/TG will sadly no longer be with us. I took out her 'Cranky' comments, but I left the rest so as to thoroughly confuse future generations.
TG	Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 \| 03:50 PM Those posts last three TG posts were not mine. ~TG What's up with the people on this site? Why are you using other peoples names? I don't hate anybody. I'm just curious how the chain mail thing is going? Whats wrong with that?
TG	Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 \| 04:15 PM Beam me up scotty
Cranky Media Guy Member	Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2008 \| 12:43 AM Dixie and that version of TG were the same person? It took TWO personalities to post that nonsense?
Charybdis in Hell Member	Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 \| 07:51 AM Sorry, I failed to note that there was already a TG posting before Dixie started her nonsense. I removed the comments based on IP, though, so only her TG/Dixie/Cranky posts were removed. The legitimate posts by Cranky and TG remain. I'm rather disappointed that I didn't rate high enough on her annoyance level for her to spoof me. :down:
Me in KY	Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 \| 01:32 AM Doing this over 7 months, made close to 90k, opening that many letters sucks, I throw them all in the closet and open them when I get bored. It works just have to mail out a crap load of letters to get good feedback. Hint for those who want to try this, remove all six names, fill in the blanks with friends and family or if your like me and live close to adjoinging states invest in multiple P.O Boxes, use different names on the list, and just toss out the few $1 checks you will recieve.
Dixie of the south	Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 \| 09:24 AM Hello all...I am free from my captor....mua ahahahahahah.......Whoever blocked me I really didnt appreciate the trojan exe notepad virus that came with it...took me 2 days to debugg...I guess thats what I get for messin around in this forum...free I say Im FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dixie	Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 \| 09:27 AM I aint starting no more trouble....but how many letters did me send out in KY??? Just wondering.
Dixie	Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 \| 10:02 AM Well TG and Cranky I guess I should apologize for trying to Hoax the Museum of hoaxes....It was all fun and games and I just wanted to see the reaction just like any Spoof....I have been unblocked and will now concentrate on positive feedback only...I really dont want another virus...Char-there are still posts under TGs name that need to be deleted...all the Cranky impersonations are gone now.
Dixie Trixi	Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 \| 08:33 AM Why so quiet in here..this was the most fun forum I had found and now everyone is gone....is there anyone out there..out there..out there?????
Greg	Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 \| 11:07 AM Everyone ran....it used to be fun in here. But now I prefer watching paint dry. Splanky got too serious and as a resul, stupid entries kept flowing from his fingers.......
Dixie	Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 \| 01:33 PM Yep they got reallyserious when I started posting under thier names and having fake conversations...so serious in fact that they bllocked me and sent me a virus...Must be some real firm believers against the mail order buiseness....
Cranky Media Guy Member	Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 \| 02:07 PM Uh, who is this "they" who allegedly sent you a virus? No offense, but your credibility is a little low, considering that you admit having posted comments under other people's screen names. Also, referring to chain letters as "the mail order business" is like calling bank robbery "the fund transfer business."
Dixie	Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 \| 08:11 AM I am not sure who sent it Cranky but I think it was u and char....you got really mad when I was messin around in this forum and u seem very computer saavvy.......
Charybdis in Hell Member	Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 \| 10:47 AM Posted: Tue Feb 05, 2008 \| 12:07 PM Everyone ran....it used to be fun in here. But now I prefer watching paint dry. Splanky got too serious and as a resul, stupid entries kept flowing from his fingers....... You've said this time and again, yet you keep coming back to insult us and ignore our direct questions to you. This makes you a flamer and a hypocrit.
Cranky Media Guy	Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 \| 01:43 PM Sorry to break it to you, Dixie, but you don't concern me enough to be motivated to send you a virus, even if I knew how to do that. As for Greg, well, since we bore the poor boy so much, allow me to hold the door open for him as he makes his oft-threatened exit. Don't let it hit you where the good Lord split you and all that.
Greg	Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 \| 01:58 PM Luv Ya Man
Dixie	Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2008 \| 08:08 AM Well Cranky you do concern me enough and I do Know how.
Cokie	Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 \| 03:13 PM I received one of these letters and have known since I was a kid that chain letters asking for money are illegal. I asked at the post office and was told to send it to the postal inspector. I am not stupid enough to send people I don't know money and am turning it over to the post office so they can protect those of who are dumb enough to think they will get rich by responding to a chain letter.
Cranky Media Guy	Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 \| 12:59 AM Bravo, Cokie. You're doing the exact right thing.
Crystal	Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 \| 08:48 AM HA HA HA..this is me laughing at all of you idiots who actually wasted your good time and money. i recieved this letter yesterday and went staraight to research. Any half wit with common sense knows mathmatically this is impossible to return 800,000 to all who participate. Cranky You are my hero!
Crystal	Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 \| 09:03 AM By the way...If you think that in some way this is a honest way to get money from people, you are an even bigger idiot! This is illegal and immoral. Common, does'nt anyone have any self respect or morals? and we wander why we are spat at by other countries... what a bunch of spoiled, self serving morons! Go to work, make a living like everyone else who has a job and have a little self respect at the end of the day. I am taking my letter to the post office and reporting this in the town I live in. I would not want one of my friends or family falling prey to some idiot chain letter!
lxl	Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 \| 12:35 PM Hello all, I received this letter two days ago. Naturally, I was curious. I have since discovered that ABC has not approved this. Therefore, the credibility of the author is nil. I make no judgments as to the credibility of Mr. Glenn Clark, the person who sent the letter to me. Regarding the legality of the letter, I am unpersuaded that it is illegal. The Post Office's link concerning chain letters states "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." This, obviously, is not the definition listed in the United States Code. However, if this captures the substance of the definition then one must conclude that an element of a "chain letter" is a PROMISE. Does this letter actually promise the recipient money? The letter explains how the money can be acquired. It explains the odds of acquiring that money. But is it a "promise"? Is it a promise to say that if " John does X and Mary does Y, then Z will follow"? If a person pays six dollars and is placed on a mailing list that reaches 10,125,000 people, and 7.5% of those people respond with one dollar, then that person will collect $759,375. This is not a PROMISE; this is math. I do not doubt that this probably a bad idea. This chain likely breaks, or is manipulated to the benefit of a few. My only point is to question the illegality of the letter as based on the standard set forth on the Post Office's website. http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/chainlet.htm
Cranky Media Guy Member	Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 \| 02:03 PM Crystal said: "Any half wit with common sense knows mathmatically this is impossible to return 800,000 to all who participate. Cranky You are my hero!" Yup, you got it, Crystal. It IS mathematically impossible for all participants in a chain letter to come out ahead, which should be obvious to anyone. Thanks for the kind words, by the way. I take a lot of crap on this forum, but I try to remember that it isn't about the chain letter defenders; it's about the people who come here because they want to get information about whether chain letters work and are legal. Hint: no and no.
Cranky Media Guy Member	Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 \| 02:04 PM lxl, I think you're overthinking the chain letter legality thing. They're illegal because they're FRAUDULENT. They CANNOT do what they claim to do.
Greg	Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 \| 02:56 PM boom chuga luga luga boom chuga luga luga boom chuga luga luga BOOM
lxl	Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 \| 03:19 PM Fraud is a knowing and intentional act of deception reasonably relied upon by the deceived that causes some harmful act. Not being a half-wit (sadly, only a quarter-wit) how is this deceptive? How? Especially if, -- and it is a big "if" -- all the participants are honest and playing by the rules of the letter? Indeed, by the time my name would reach the top of the list (assuming a 7.5% return as posited by ABC News) then my name would be exposed to over 10 million people. If I were to send, right now, 10 million letters, at 41 cents postage and 35 cents for copies and envelopes, then I would need over 7.6 people to respond with a dollar to make a profit. So, is my direct solicitation of one dollar from 10 million people fraudulent? No, of course not. It is just enormously expensive and thus prohibitive. However, if I begin to ask others to share in the costs of postage, while at the same time reducing my "profit," then the mere asking for help in reaching those 10 million people is fraudulent? For quarter-wits like me, please explain why -- if all participants are honest -- this is a "scheme" that can't work? Math never was my strong suit. Thank you.
Greg	Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 \| 07:19 PM This is really getting heavy. You guys are all overthinking the entire process. Send the letters sit and wait and just see what happens. You won't go to jail and you may get a little cash back. You wack jobs are actually talking about formulas, percentages and things like what would happen if you sent 10 million letters out. You get less witted with each entry....all of you. And think about it...by the time you sent out 10 million letters the postage would probably be a lot higher that 41 cents. Did you take that into consideration Sharpy.
Cranky Media Guy	Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 \| 12:53 AM lxl said: "Not being a half-wit (sadly, only a quarter-wit) how is this deceptive? How? Especially if, -- and it is a big "if" -- all the participants are honest and playing by the rules of the letter?" It doesn't matter if all the participants are "honest" if the intended outcome is impossible. The intented outcome of a chain letter--that all participants come out ahead--IS impossible. "For quarter-wits like me, please explain why -- if all participants are honest -- this is a "scheme" that can't work?" I explained in some detail on an earlier page why a chain letter or other form of Ponzi scheme CANNOT work. Please go back and look.
Crystal	Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 \| 04:56 AM lxl said: "For quarter-wits like me, please explain why -- if all participants are honest -- this is a "scheme" that can't work? Math never was my strong suit." This cannot Mathematically work because even if half of all of the people you send to actually responded and they inturn sent more letters out and half of all of them responded, you will never be rich from this letter! There are not enough human beings on the planet for this to go on and on and all to see a large return. The only person seeing any return would be someone who was in the loop at the begining of the letter, if at all. Keep in mind people will tell you what they want to get you to participate. It does not mean it is so. Remember when we were little kids and we were told Santa Claus is real, well that didn't make it so now did it! Get a Clue! Money does not fall from the sky...Get a Job! Just think of how much time you could be spending writing a resume or putting applications in at fast food restaraunts. With any luck you may even get hired at more than one. If you want a guarantee of money, this is how you do it! I am sad to hear you are only a quarter wit..however this explains why you do not see that no matter what the return may or may not be for sending out this letter , IT IS ILLEGAL and if you had any morals or self respect you would not participate in the distribution of a letter that sends false hope to unsuspecting people. Throw it away and rest at night knowing that you are not trying to prey on the less fortunate who may see this as a quick way out of debt! I just want to say that it really makes me sad to see that people are actually blind and clueless enough, what with all of the resources available today. Still some of you actually believe this may work for you and are willing to participate in something that is illegal. Cranky said: "Thanks for the kind words, by the way. I take a lot of crap on this forum, but I try to remember that it isn't about the chain letter defenders; it's about the people who come here because they want to get information about whether chain letters work and are legal. Hint: no and no." I am with you all the way on this one cranky! I do have to say I think it is falling on deaf ears..unfortunately, as you said before i think peole think if they wish it to be, it will. I would however choose to redirect that positive energy towards something LEGAL and that may benifit others instead of hurting them.
Crystal	Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 \| 08:04 AM FYI for anyone who wants to save themselves from waisting time on ANY chain letter. The following link is to the sight in which my posting comes from. If you are on this sight exchanging points of view, facts, or retardation..you should have the ability to research any of the many Chain letter sights. http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/c/chains.htm A chain letter is a communication that, for example, encourages you to send money to a list of names that are included in the letter, then to add your name to the list and forward the letter to as many people as you can. It's not hard to imagine that if you send the letter to a lot of people and each of them sends the letter to a lot of other people, your name will be sent to multiplied numbers of folk who will be sending you money, just like you did to the names on the list you first received. Sounds nifty, but it doesn't work out that way. There are a couple of kinds of chain letters: Those that don't ask for anything of monetary value and those that do. For example, the chain letters that don't ask for anything of monetary value are ones that suggest sharing something like a post card or recipe. There are also some that include some kind of a blessing to be passed along to others or a request for prayers. There is little risk if you decide to participate in passing them along, because they are not asking for much. One caution, though: some of the chain letters that talk about blessing and curses may still be illegal if they include a threat of what might happen to you if you fail to forward it. Chain letters that ask for anything of value, however, are a bad bet and, according to the U.S. Postal Service, may be illegal if you use the U.S. mail for any aspect of the chain. There are many chain letters that claim to be legal and are not, but if you have any question about one, check with your local post office to make sure. The practical side of chain letters is that they virtually never pay off. One reason is that in order to fully benefit from a chain letter that has been forwarded to you, everybody in the chain is going to have to send letters as well, which just doesn't happen. The main reason is the sheer numbers involved. Let's look at an example: You receive a chain letter with 11 names on a list that asks you to send $10 to the person who is first on the list, then add your name to the bottom. This means that before you'll receive any money, the letter needs to go through 10 additional generations. Additionally, if you are going to receive the big bucks that were promised in the letter, everybody in those 10 generations will have to faithfully participate. Here are the numbers: Generation of Mailings Number of Participants 1 10 2 100 3 1,000 4 10,000 5 100,000 6 1,000,000 7 10,000,000 8 100,000,000 9 1,000,000,000 10 10,000,000,000 You'll get your money once 10 billion people are involved! That's nearly twice the population of the earth and depends on the previous one billion people making sure they all sent out their chain letters. The bottom line is that most people who participate in chain letter schemes do not get their money back, do not make large amounts of money, and, in fact, are merely padding the wallets of the people who were first on the list...and who probably sent the chain letter in the first place. common sense and simple math should answer your questions on if you should be participating in chain letters or not. As I have said before if you want a guarantee for money, get a job, show up every day, do the work..I promise you will get paid! and not to mention you will not be breaking the law and will be able to file your taxes without wandering if you will be prosecuted for violation of a federal Law. Call me crazy , but this works for me. I Sleep well people!
Tracedog	Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 \| 03:01 PM Greg, how's your chain mail goin? How many have you sent out? How many have you gotten back?
Dixie	Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 \| 03:14 PM All the this and that...Cranky is posting fake replies calling himself a hero...the real deal is that there arent 10 names on this list there are 6 and if you send the list out with all the names leading back to you there will no doubt be huge profits anyone who participates is sending cash to you...6 bucks at a time....it works...it has to at some level
lxl	Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2008 \| 10:06 PM I appreciate the chain letter example provided. However, there is one difference between the example and the chain letter that is the subject of this thread. The example requires the participant to wait ten rounds before he receives a payment; thus, the participant must wait for 10 billion people to be solicited before he ever gets paid. The subject letter, however, places the person's name on the pay-out list immediately upon participation (provided that there is honest play). The participant doesn't wait ten rounds and for a 10 billion people; rather his name is immediately placed on the mailing list to the 200 people. Thus, the participant has a chance at money right away. I also appreciate the legal opinion provided. I especially appreciate them because I AM an attorney. I offer no opinion as to the legality of this letter. But what I can say is that the process of determining legality is not as simple as attaching a label to something and then noting that such a label is illegal. Facts turn cases. If in fact there is a "promise," if in fact it is "gambling," if in fact there is "value," if in fact X, Y, and Z. For what it is worth to you, law school classes are taught by the Socratic Method. A case is read by the class; a rule is gleaned from the case; the professor then asks students a series of questions, each question changing or adding a fact; the student determines whether and how the rule applies to the facts given; a new case is read and the process is repeated until the class arrives at the current state of the law. The students then leave confident they know the law (until some odd set of facts never-before-considered appear before them on the Final Exam). The point is that I can go ask my postmaster all I want about chain letters, and he can tell me the rule. And yes, if he has previously seen this particular letter and has previously been handing a ruling on it, he can tell me if it is illegal. But if this letter is somehow factually different (in a relevant way) from other chain letters, then the postmaster can't conclusively say that it is illegal. He'll need an attorney to tell him that -- even then, a judge can say different. Is this letter different? I don't know. And I dare say that most of you reading this likewise do not know. Lastly, this is not just a matter of defending get-rich-quick schemes. If this letter is legal then countless people have been placed in fear of criminal prosecution for communicating with others. In other words, speech has been chilled. That is something to consider, and possibly worry about, Thank you all for your time and attention. I must know get back to working hard for a living where I charge my clients 225 per hour -- you know, honest work.
Cranky Media Guy	Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 \| 01:04 AM "All the this and that...Cranky is posting fake replies calling himself a hero." I guess you "know" this the same way you "know" that the decades-old scam called "chain letters" works, huh? Here's the thing, Dixie. I don't need to lie because I'm right about this. "with all the names leading back to you there will no doubt be huge profits anyone who participates is sending cash to you...6 bucks at a time....it works...it has to at some level" Right, that's why we're constantly reading about all the people who have made millions off their sure-fire LEGAL chain letters. The simple, logical explanation of why chain letters CANNOT work has been given on this thread several times. If you can't understand it, that isn't my (or anyone else's) fault. Greed has a way of blinding people to facts a fifth-grader could grasp.
Cranky Media Guy	Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 \| 01:09 AM Tracedog said: "Greg, how's your chain mail goin? How many have you sent out? How many have you gotten back?" Tracedog, although Greg claims to believe that he could be making hundreds of thousands of dollars with a chain letter, he has said on more than one occasion that he isn't participating in one and isn't sure he is going to participate in one. Seems a bit strange, doesn't it? I'll let you draw your own conclusions.
Greg	Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 \| 08:25 AM I am so confused....I didn't realize that there were people out there that are so incapable of interpreting the English language. None of us are saying that we WILL get 800,000 except the original writer of the letter. We are saying the if no one breaks the chain you will get returns. But everyone knows that someone will eventually break it. So forget about the 800 Grand. Let's say we can get $5,000 or even $10,000 back. Not a bad return for a few days of letter opening. I still haven't tried yet because ...yes, I am, I always was and I probably always will be a little skeptical. I'm really not as stupid as Splanky sounds..... As for lxl.....charging your clients 225 per hour. Unless you are a medical specialist or a surgeon saving lives...I don't consider that honest work. Nothing other than "life saving medical procedures" is worth 225 dollars an hour. HHMMM I wonder how much OJ payed all his attorneys. Have a Happy..........
Cranky Media Guy	Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2008 \| 02:05 PM I'm confused. I didn't realize there were people out there that are so incapable of understanding simple arithmetic. See, as I've pointed out numerous times, since there is NO external source of funds, it is NOT possible for everyone in a chain to come out ahead, even if no one breaks the chain and even if all participants are "honest." There is only as much money in the "pot" as the participants have put in, so it IS NOT POSSIBLE for everyone to take out more than they put in. That's all there is to it. It's just that simple. People who say otherwise are either VERY stupid OR they know full well that what I just said is true and they're trying to scam you.
acerry	Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 \| 08:01 AM I still think it is stupid that it would be illegal. People should be able to do this if they want to. It is there choice if they lose. The post office is not going to lose anything. Besides they say they are making a mailing list. If people don't want to do it then throw the damn letter away.
Cranky Media Guy	Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 \| 01:58 PM Acerry, chain letters are illegal because they're fraudulent. They CANNOT do what they claim to do. Unfortunately (as you can see by simply reading this thread), not everyone can figure this out for themselves. It's not a question of the Postal Service "losing money." If anything, they MAKE money from the postage on the letters. They're illegal because they prey on people many of whom are desperately seeking a way out of difficult situations. Yes, they usually take only a few dollars from each participant, but they obviously attempt to reach a lot of people so the total take can be pretty sizeable. Do you really think it should be legal to rip people off by lying to them about how they're allegedly going to profit? Just because a person isn't good at math (or logic), that shouldn't be a license to exploit them.
accery	Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 \| 03:26 PM Your right that people should not be exploited or lied to. I would really like to know if anyone really has made money on something like this and still if people read this and still send out letters hoping to get money then it is there problem if they lose still nothing (I) think should be illegal. The illegal part should be the lying on the the letters with no real proof of making money. I can see a piont in making a mailing list, but maybe a mailing list that goes to a real product.
Tracedog	Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 \| 07:10 PM Greg in a state of confusion said: "Let's say we can get $5,000 or even $10,000 back. Not a bad return for a few days of letter opening". Amen. But how many have gotten even that? Greg in a state of confusion said: "I still haven't tried yet because ...yes, I am, I always was and I probably always will be a little skeptical". Very Healthy. Like most everyone else who visits these sites, otherwise, why would you? The trouble is that some people have no talent for being "skeptical". They just plunge ahead expecting big returns like our "retired attorney" promises. This equates to scammers preying on the uneducated, which then makes then me start thinking about violent/organized crime and firing squads...and we don't want to do down that road. Cranky Media Guy said: "I'll let you draw your own conclusions". Yes. My Conclusions are that people Really Really want to believe this stuff ala "The Secret" "Chain letters" "Tax rebates" and "Barack Obama" et al. The US economy is finally facing its destiny in living, breathing form. All kinds of folks are becoming desperate in small ways that ordinarily would not be noticed. But the gig is up. Things are escallating along with the falling dollar and the price of oil. Anybody with any brains knows it. It
Tracedog	Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 \| 07:24 PM acerry in utah said: "People should be able to do this if they want to". In a way you're right. And in another way you really are right! It's not illegal to do the "retired attorney, give-$1-to-six-people" thing per se. Hand carry the crap! I may be wrong, but as far as I can tell, it's not a federal crime to "solicit" money this way in person. You just can't use the US mail/interstate commerce system to partake in any aspect of the sorry affair. Anyone who runs the numbers would understand why. The postal service simply cannot be in the business of aiding and abetting fraud. (The US Treasury and Congress - Yes!) Postal Service - No!) acerry in utah said: "I would really like to know if anyone really has made money on something like this..." Me too, But as Cranky keeps saying, nobody, even the proponents of this stuff, has come forth with any unsuspecting data. My guess is that you can make a few bucks, maybe even a few thousand bucks. But lets hear it! Nothing wrong with a good true crime story. Hell, Look at prime time.
Dixie	Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 \| 11:02 AM Well Spanky...You say your telling the truth and that this can in no way work...Have you tried it??? Its like Greg says..It doesnt matter if you make 800,000.. or 8,000 if there is a return then it worked...and in your case we go back to the old saying "Dont Knock It Unless You've Tried It!" One question for your reply Cranky...Have you tried it???? Y or N????
Dixie	Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 \| 11:06 AM Tracedog said"Me too, But as Cranky keeps saying, nobody, even the proponents of this stuff, has come forth with any unsuspecting data. My guess is that you can make a few bucks, maybe even a few thousand bucks. But lets hear it! Nothing wrong with a good true crime story. Hell, Look at prime time." If you go back a few pages in this forum you just might see a success story but I firmly believe that any and all stories of success are deleted in this forum by the powers that be..(Cranky and Char)..therefor you will never see a success story...
Dixie	Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 \| 11:09 AM MeinKy wrote:"Doing this over 7 months, made close to 90k, opening that many letters sucks, I throw them all in the closet and open them when I get bored. It works just have to mail out a crap load of letters to get good feedback. Hint for those who want to try this, remove all six names, fill in the blanks with friends and family or if your like me and live close to adjoinging states invest in multiple P.O Boxes, use different names on the list, and just toss out the few $1 checks you will recieve." Geuss everyone missed this post...
Dixie	Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 \| 11:13 AM I remember a story about a guy who said it was going to rain 40 days and 40 nights and even built a ship to carry him through...everyone said he was full of it..and no one believed..look what happened to them.
Cranky Media Guy	Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 \| 01:39 PM So, Dixie, you're comparing the idea that a chain letter can make money for all its participants to the fairy tale of Noah? Seems about right to me as they're both nonsense.
Greg	Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 \| 01:40 PM Yea Janky....get on the boat. Even the dumb animals did. The ones that didn't get on were the losers.
Greg	Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 \| 01:42 PM So you think it's a fairy tale. Now I just feel sorry for you!!
Cranky Media Guy	Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 \| 01:47 PM "If you go back a few pages in this forum you just might see a success story but I firmly believe that any and all stories of success are deleted in this forum by the powers that be..(Cranky and Char)..therefor you will never see a success story..." Well, you firmly believe in nonsense. As I have said before, I am not a "power that be" around here, nor do I want to be. I see no evidence that Charybdis has censored anything here, either. Your "logic" is that we are deleting "success stories" except you admit that there is an alleged success story a few pages back. Oh, but I guess we just left that one in to fool people or something, huh? Dixie, has it not occurred to you that if there were chain letter success stories, you'd see them in other places besides here? Don't you think you'd read about them in magazines and newspapers and see them on the TV news, especially in a downturning economy? Wouldn't there be a ton of "This could be YOU" stories all over the place? Oh, but I guess Chary and I are censoring ALL the media with our magical powers!
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Note: This thread is located in the Old Forum of the Museum of Hoaxes.