This document contains the more traditional chain letters. Chain letters generally involve getting "luck" or money by sending out the letters and "bad luck" if you do not. They are easily recognizable as the same letters that 50 years ago traveled the paper mails and now have moved to the more modern medium of electronic mail. They claim all manner of warnings and dire notices of doom and gloom for your computer systems or for some poor soul somewhere, all of which will be saved if you just send this message on to all of your friends. Enter the world of the Internet chain letter. In the years before computers, chain letters were common and were sent by U.S. mail and required a stamp. This limited the extent to which chain letters were passed on, because sending them involved a real, up front cost in time to type the letters and money for stamps. The fact that most chain letters asked you to send a dollar to the top ten people in the chain caused most people to ignore them.
Today, with the click of a button, a message can be forwarded to hundreds of people at no apparent cost to the sender. If each of the so-called good Samaritans sends the letter on to only ten other people (most send to huge mailing lists), the ninth resending results in a billion e-mail messages, thereby, clogging the network and interfering with the receiving of legitimate e-mail messages. Factor in the time lost reading and deleting all these messages and you see a real cost to organizations and individuals from these seemingly innocuous messages.
Chain letters that ask you to send money are illegal under currrent Postal and Federal Trade Commission regulations. Even those that offer an inexpensive report or disk that people sell to you to get your money are also illegal pyramid schemes. See the
US Postal Inspection Service information on chain letters, the presentation from Debra A. Valentine, General Counsel for the U. S. Federal Trade Commission "PYRAMID SCHEMES" and the FTC booklet FTC Consumer Alert! Profits in Pyramid Schemes? Don't Bank on It! . All of these pages make it quite clear that schemes that attempt to get around the law by offering something relatively worthless in exchange for your money are still illegal under the law.
Hawaiian GOOD LUCK TOTEM
\ \ \ | | | / / /
=========
^ | O O |
# \ /\ /
# \ @' /
# _| |_
( # ) ( )
# \ / / | * * | \ \
# \ / ( * ) /
# ======
# ( \ | / )
# | | | |
# .- -' | | ' ---.
# ' - - -' ' - - -'
This totem has been sent to you for good luck. It has been sent
around the world ten times so far.
You will receive good luck within four days of relaying this
totem.
Send copies to people you think need good luck. >
Don't send money as fate has no price. Do not keep this message.
The totem must leave your hands in 96 hours.
Send ten copies and see what happens in four days. You will get a
surprise. This is true, even if you are not superstitious.
Good luck, but please remember: 10 copies of this message must
leave your hands in 96 hours...
Everything you never wanted to know and were afraid to ask Here's what you're supposed to do. Copy this entire e-mail and change all of the answers so they apply to you. Then send it to everyone you know, INCLUDING me. So you should get back a lot of get-to-know-you e-mails. You'll learn a lot about your friends that you maybe didn't know. Please take 5 minutes of your day to do this. FULL NAME: NICKNAME(s) : HOMETOWN: BORN: CURRENT RESIDENCE: CROUTONS OR BACON BITS: FAVORITE SALAD DRESSING: DO YOU DRINK: SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER OR JUST CONDITIONER: HAVE YOU EVER GONE SKINNY DIPPING: DO YOU MAKE FUN OF PEOPLE: FAVORITE COLORS: HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CONVICTED OF A CRIME: BEST ON-LINE FRIENDS: ONE PILLOW OR TWO: PETS: FAVORITE TYPES OF MUSIC: DREAM CAR: TYPE OF CAR YOU DRIVE NOW: WHAT TYPE OF CAR WAS YOUR FIRST CAR: TOOTHPASTE: FAVORITE FOOD: DO YOU GET ALONG WITH YOUR PARENTS: FAVORITE TOWN TO CHILL IN: FAVORITE ICE CREAM: FAVORITE SOFT DRINK: FAVORITE TYPE OF FAMILY GAME TO PLAY: WHAT IS YOUR BAD TIME of DAY: FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR: ADIDAS, NIKE, OR REEBOK: FAVORITE PERFUME OR COLOGNE: FAVORITE WEBSITE: FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL: FAVORITE MOVIE YOU HAVE SEEN RECENTLY OR FAVORITE TYPE OF MOVIE: LEAST FAVORITE SUBJECT: FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK : FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH: MOST HUMILIATING MOMENT: CRAZIEST OR SILLIEST PERSON YOU KNOW: WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN THE OPPOSITE SEX: SAY ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU: PERSON YOU SENT THIS TO, WHO IS LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND:
February 2000
Send this to 6 people and you will see the taco bell dog run across your screen . If you send this to 8 people Ronald McDonald comes out and attacks the taco bell dog. It is really funny and it works!! You have to try it!!
May 1999
This one will put you in the Guinness Book Of World Records, but how does Guinness know how many people have forwarded an e-mail? How would they know who it was sent to so they could put the names in the book? Guinness also requires strict refereeing to insure a record is not faked as this message is.
If we keep this going until September 9th, 1999
(9-9-99), I PROMISE YOU that everyone's name who this
was sent to will be in the Guinness Book of Records.
AND I HAVE PROOF! I e-mailed them and told them I would
start one and they said they'd save a spot for all of us
in the 2000 Special addition! So, if we keep this going...
We'll all be a part of the book.....So
please, have some heart and send this to a few people.
It would really be nice. You get something out of it too!
So, send this right now to everyone you know online!
Thanks very much!
May 1999
Here, you get a cool video by sending an e-mail message to 11 people. The only problem is that there is no way for the e-mail system to do that.
OK here's the deal, this works. I don't know how...but it works, you have to send it(this) to no less than 11 people. Some how, from the return path generated, you'll receive...something, and it is funny!!!! This is the coolest thing I've ever gotten! All you have to do is send it to 11 people and this little video comes up on your screen and shows the funniest clip. i can't tell you what it is but i was laughing so hard! So spend a few seconds to send this and you'll be glad you did! thanks!
It is you they are laughing at if you believe this and pass it on.
May 1999
Subject: DO NOT DELETE!! THIS REALLY WORKS!!!!]
I'm SO sorry about this, but I had to
keep it going. The last time sent
this exact e-mail out, I got a new job
and now I'm superstitious. Start thinking
of something you really really want,
cause this is astounding... the person
that sent this to me said their wish
came true 10 mins after they read
the mail so I thought what the heck.
,,:cc,,,;.
cc$$$$$$$$$$$$$cc
cc$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$cc
c$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$c
,c$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
,c$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
,d$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$,
,$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$h$$$'
,$$$$$u$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
J$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$b$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
'$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$'
'$$$$$$MMMMM'$$$$$$$$MMMMM'$$$$$$'
'$$$$$$MMMM.$$$$$$$$,MMMM $$$$$$$$'
$$$$$,M";;;'$$$$$$$$$$'M",,'",$$$$$$$'
?$$$$,<( ') $$$$$$$$$$(' ) $$$$$'
?$$$, <( ) $$$$$$$$$$( ) $$$$?
'$$$$$.'-' $$$$$$$$$$$,'-',$$$'
$$$$$$$$$$$????$$$$$$$$$'
d$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$b
$$$$$$$$$$$c,,,,c$$$$$$$$$$$$
"?$$$$P"" "$$$$$$???$$$$??"
$$$$$
$$$$$$c
,$$$$$$$"c
z$<$$$$$$$'$,
z$<$$$$$$$$$'$c
<$$$$$$$$$$$;?$
'$<$$$$$$$$$$$:$
?L$$$$$$$$$$$:$
?$$$$$$$$$$$d'
'$$$$$$$$$$F
'?$c'??3$F
CCC CCC
.,,,,,.
.,,,,,.
You have been seen by the tweety bird.
He will grant you one wish.
Make your wish when the count down is over.
10..
9..
8..
7..
6..
5..
4..
3..
2..
1..
**** MAKE A WISH******
Send this to 10 people within the hour
you read this. If you do, your wish
will come true. If you don't it will
become the opposite.
June 1999
As best we can tell, this is a real message. And, while it is a chain letter, it at least has a time limit embedded in it to stop its spread after a certain date. Curiously, some people were still spreading this letter after the date listed as the end date.
Hello!
We are a 2nd grade class in Belmont, Michigan. We are located just
north of Grand Rapids, Michigan. We are a part of the Rockford
School District.
We have decided to map an email project. We are curious to
see where in the world our email will travel by Internet, between the
period of May 17 - June 7, 1999. We would like your help. If you
receive this message, we ask that you:
1) email back and tell us your location so we can plot it on our map
AND 2) send our class letter on to more people.
Thank you for any help you can give. Our email address is:
Belmont2@i2k.com
Mrs. Ary's 2nd grade class
April 2002
Here is another, similar message that spread widely. I spoke with Ms. Johannesen and she said she was one of the people who forwarded it but somehow her name was left on it. She also said she had gotten an e-mail from the Principal saying that they had so many responses that they had to shut down the project in early April. I am sure Ms. Johannesen would be very happy if people would stop calling.
Object: Helping Kids With School Project Hi: I am a science teacher at an elementary school in Los Angeles, California. A few of my sixth grade students are working on a project for our 2002 Science Fair to be held May 8-9, 2002. We are trying to see where, and how fast e-mail can travel in a period of six weeks. We are keeping track of how many e-mails we get back, and what cities, states, and countries they are coming from. We are hoping that you will be willing to help us with our project! There are only 2 simple steps that will help us to track this email: 1. Please send an e-mail to the following address: science2002fair@yahoo.com In the subject of the e-mail please include your city, state, and country. You do not need to include your name. Please respond only one time. 2. Please forward this e-mail to everyone on your mailing list. We will be keeping track of the number of responses, as well as the locations. Therefore, send them even to people in the same town. In our science project, we are trying to demonstrate how fast and how far information can travel on the Internet in a six week period. If you receive this e-mail after May 1, 2002, please disregard it, since the project will be over. Thank you VERY much for your help! Judy Johannesen 940-xxx-xxxx (home)
June 2000
This particular pyramid scheme has been making the rounds of the Internet for many years. It is a good example of an illegal pyramid scheme that is trying to get around the law by "selling" you something for your money instead of simply telling you to send money to the person at the top of the list. Even though an item changes hands, this is still an illegal pyramid scheme. See top.
This message is a little long so only an abbreviated version is seen here. Click here to see the complete version.
Subject: Invest $25 to get $500,000 in every 4 to 5 months!!
Dear Friend:
AS SEEN ON NATIONAL TV :
''Making over half million dollars every 4 to 5 months from your
home for an investment of only $25 U.S. Dollars expense one time''
THANX TO THE COMPUTER AGE AND THE INTERNET !
===============================================
BE A MILLIONAIRE LIKE OTHERS WITHIN A YEAR !!!
Before you say ''Bull'' , please read the following. This is the
letter you have been hearing about on the news lately. Due to the
popularity of this letter on the internet, a national weekly news
program recently devoted an entire show to the investigation of
this program described below , to see if it really can make people
money.
The show also investigated whether or not the program was legal.
Their findings proved once and for all that there are ''absolutely
NO. Laws prohibiting the participation in the program and if people
can follow the simple instructions, they are bound to make
some mega bucks with only $25 out of pocket cost''.
DUE TO THE RECENT INCREASE OF POPULARITY & RESPECT THIS
PROGRAM HAS ATTAINED, IT IS CURRENTLY WORKING BETTER THAN EVER.
This is what one had to say:
'' Thanks to this profitable opportunity. I was approached
many times before but each time I passed on it. I am so glad
I finally joined just to see what one could expect in return
for the minimal effort and money required. To my astonishment, I
received total $ 610,470.00 in 21 weeks, with money still
coming in''.
Pam Hedland, Fort Lee, New Jersey.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is another testimonial:
'''This program has been around for a long time but I never
believed in it. But one day when I received this again in
the mail I decided to gamble my $25 on it. I followed the
simple instructions and walaa ..... 3 weeks later the money
started to come in. First month I only made $240.00 but
the next 2 months after that I made a total of $290,000.00.
So far, in the past 8 months by re-entering the program, I
have made over $710,000.00 and I am playing it again.
The key to success in this program is to follow the simple
steps and NOT change anything .''
More testimonials later but first,
****** PRINT THIS NOW FOR YOUR FUTURE REFERENCE *******
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
If you would like to make at least $500,000 every 4 to 5 months
easily and comfortably, please read the following...THEN READ
IT AGAIN and AGAIN !!!
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
FOLLOW THE SIMPLE INSTRUCTION BELOW AND YOUR
FINANCIAL DREAMS WILL COME TRUE, GUARANTEED !
INSTRUCTIONS:
**** Order all 5 reports shown on the list below.
**** For each report, send $5 CASH, THE NAME & NUMBER OF THE
REPORT YOU ARE ORDERING and YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS
to the person whose name appears ON THAT LIST next to the report.
MAKE SURE YOUR RETURN ADDRESS IS ON YOUR ENVELOPE
TOP LEFT CORNER in case of any mail problems.
**** When you place your order, make sure you order each of the 5 reports.
You will need all 5 reports so that you can save them on your computer
and resell them. YOUR TOTAL COST $5 X 5 = $25.00.
**** Within a few days you will receive, vie e-mail, each of the 5 reports
from these 5 different individuals. Save them on your computer so
they will be accessible for you to send to the 1,000's of people
who will order them from you. Also make a floppy of these reports
and keep it on your desk in case something happen to your computer.
**** IMPORTANT __ DO NOT alter the names of the people who are
listed next to each report, or their sequence on the list, in
any way other than what is instructed below in step '' 1 through 6 '' or
you will loose out on majority of your profits. Once you understand
the way this works, you will also see how it does not work if you change it.
Remember, this method has been tested, and if you alter, it
will NOT work!!! People have tried to put their friends/relatives names
on all five thinking they could get all the money. But it does not work
this way. Believe us, we all have tried to be greedy and then nothing
happened. So Do Not try to change anything other than what is
instructed. Because if you do, it will not work for you.
Remember, honesty reaps the reward!!!
1.... After you have ordered all 5 reports, take this advertisement and
REMOVE the name & address of the person in REPORT # 5. This
person has made it through the cycle and is no doubt counting their
fortune.
2.... Move the name & address in REPORT # 4 down TO REPORT # 5.
3.... Move the name & address in REPORT # 3 down TO REPORT # 4.
4.... Move the name & address in REPORT # 2 down TO REPORT # 3.
5.... Move the name & address in REPORT # 1 down TO REPORT # 2
6.... Insert YOUR name & address in the REPORT # 1 Position.
PLEASE MAKE SURE you copy every name & address ACCURATELY !
=========================================================
**** Take this entire letter, with the modified list of names, and save
it on your computer. DO NOT MAKE ANY OTHER CHANGES.
Save this on a disk as well just in case if you loose any data.
**** To assist you with marketing your business on the internet, the
5 reports you purchase will provide you with invaluable marketing
information which includes how to send bulk e-mails legally,
where to find thousands of free classified ads and much more.
There are 2 Primary methods to get this venture going:
METHOD # 1 : BY SENDING BULK E-MAIL LEGALLY
============================================
let's say that you decide to start small, just to see how it
goes, and we will assume You and those involved send out only 5,000
e-mails each. Let's also assume that the mailing receive only a
0.2% response (the response could be much better but lets just say it
is only 0.2% . Also many people will send out hundreds of thousands
e-mails instead of only 5,000 each).
Continuing with this example, you send out only 5,000 e-mails.
With a 0.2% response, that is only 10 orders for report # 1.
Those 10 people responded by sending out 5,000 e-mail
each for a total of 50,000. Out of those 50,000 e-mails only
0.2% responded with orders. That's = 100 people responded
and ordered Report # 2. Those 100 people mail out 5,000
e-mails each for a total of 500,000 e-mails. The 0.2% response
to that is 1000 orders for Report # 3.
Those 1000 people send out 5,000 e-mails each for a total of
5 million e-mails sent out. The 0.2% response to that is 10,000
orders for Report # 4. Those 10,000 people send out 5,000
e-mails each for a total of 50,000,000 (50 million) e-mails. The
0.2% response to that is 100,000 orders for Report # 5
THAT'S 100,000 ORDERS TIMES $5 EACH = $500,000.00 (half million).
Your total income in this example is:
1..... $50 +
2..... $500 +
3..... $5,000 +
4..... $50,000 +
5..... $500,000 ......... Grand Total = $555,550.00
NUMBERS DO NOT LIE. GET A PENCIL & PAPER AND FIGURE
OUT THE WORST POSSIBLE RESPONSES AND NO MATTER
HOW YOU CALCULATE IT, YOU WILL STILL MAKE A LOT OF
MONEY !
--------------------------------------------------------------------
REMEMBER FRIEND, THIS IS ASSUMING ONLY 10 PEOPLE
ORDERING OUT OF 5,000 YOU MAILED TO. Dare to think for
a moment what would happen if everyone, or half or even one 4th
of those people mailed 100,000 e-mails each or more? There are
over 150 million people on the internet worldwide and counting.
Believe me, many people will do just that, and more!
METHOD # 2 : BY PLACING FREE ADS ON THE INTERNET
===================================================
Advertising on the net is very very inexpensive and there are
hundreds of FREE places to advertise. Placing a lot of free ads
on the internet will easily get a larger response. We strongly
suggest you start with Method # 1 and add METHOD # 2 as you go along.
For every $5 you receive, all you must do is e-mail them the Report
they ordered. That's it . Always provide same day service on all
orders. This will guarantee that the e-mail they send out, with your name and
address on it, will be prompt because they can not advertise until
they receive the report.
________________ AVAILABLE REPORTS ________________________
ORDER EACH REPORT BY ITS NUMBER & NAME ONLY.
Notes: Always send $5 cash (U.S. CURRENCY) for each Report.
Checks NOT accepted. Make sure the cash is concealed by wrapping
it in atleast 2 sheets of paper. On one of those sheets of paper,
Write the NUMBER & the NAME of the Report you are ordering, YOUR E-MAIL
ADDRESS and your name and postal address.
PLACE YOUR ORDER FOR THESE REPORTS NOW :
==============================================
REPORT # 1 : ''The Insider's Guide to Advertising for Free on the Net''
Order Report # 1 from:
xxx yyyyy
4009-62st.
zzzzz,Alberta
Canada T4V 2W9
__________________________________________________
REPORT # 2 : ''The Insider's Guide to Sending Bulk e-mail on the Net''
Order Report # 2 from :
aaaaaa bbbbbb
P.O. Box 123456
Sarasota, FL. 34276
U.S.A.
__________________________________________________
REPORT # 3 : ''The Secret to Multilevel marketing on the net''
Order Report # 3 from:
cccc dddd
9999 Santa Monica Blvd;
Beverly Hills, Ca 90212
U.S.A.
___________________________________________________
REPORT # 4 : ''How to become a millionaire utilizing MLM & the Net''
Order Report # 4 from:
ccccccc Marketing
88888 , 22th Street
Warwick, N.D. 58381
U.S.A
____________________________________________________
REPORT # 5 : ''HOW TO SEND 1 MILLION E-MAILS FOR FREE''
Order Report # 5 from:
ZZZ Enterprises
PO Box 1111
xxx Lake, ND 58301-0421
U.S.A.
___________________________________________________
$$$$$$$$$ YOUR SUCCESS GUIDELINES $$$$$$$$$$$
Follow these guidelines to guarantee your success:
*** If you do not receive at least 10 orders for Report #1 within 2
weeks, continue sending e-mails until you do.
*** After you have received 10 orders, 2 to 3 weeks after that
you should receive 100 orders or more for REPORT # 2.
If you did not, continue advertising or sending e-mails until
you do.
*** Once you have received 100 or more orders for Report # 2,
YOU CAN RELAX, because the system is already working for
you , and the cash will continue to roll in !
THIS IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER : Every time your name is
moved down on the list, you are placed in front of a Different
report. You can KEEP TRACK of your PROGRESS by watching which
report people are ordering from you. IF YOU WANT TO GENERATE
MORE INCOME SEND ANOTHER BATCH OF E-MAILS AND
START THE WHOLE PROCESS AGAIN. There is NO LIMIT to
the income you can generate from this business !!!
______________________________________________________
FOLLOWING IS A NOTE FROM THE ORIGINATOR OF THIS PROGRAM:
"" You have just received information that can give you financial
freedom for the rest of your life, with NO RISK and JUST A
LITTLE BIT OF EFFORT. You can make more money in the
next few weeks and months than you have ever imagined.
Follow the program EXACTLY AS INSTRUCTED. Do Not change
it in any way. It works exceedingly well as it is now.
Remember to e-mail a copy of this exciting report after you have put your
name and address in Report #1 and moved others to #2 ...........# 5
as instructed above. One of the people you send this to may send
out 100,000 or more e-mails and your name will be on everyone of
them. Remember though, the more you send out the more potential
customers you will reach.
So my friend, I have given you the ideas, information, materials
and opportunity to become financially independent. IT IS UP TO
YOU NOW !
************** MORE TESTIMONIALS ****************
'' My name is Mitchell. My wife , Jody and I live in Chicago.
I am an accountant with a major U.S. Corporation and I make
pretty good money. When I received this program I grumbled
to Jody about receiving ''junk mail''. I made fun of the
whole thing, spouting my knowledge of the population and
percentages involved. I ''knew'' it wouldn't work. Jody totally ignored
my supposed intelligence and few days later she jumped in with
both feet. I made merciless fun of her, and was ready to lay
the old ''I told you so'' on her when the thing didn't work.
Well, the laugh was on me! Within 3 weeks she had received
50 responses. Within the next 45 days she had received total
$ 147,200.00 ........... all cash! I was shocked. I have
joined Jody in her ''hobby''.
Mitchell Wolf, M.D. ,
Chicago, Illinois
------------------------------------------------------------
'' Not being the gambling type, it took me several weeks to make
up my mind to participate in this plan. But conservative that
I am, I decided that the initial investment was so little that
there was just no way that I wouldn't get enough orders to atleast get
my money back''.
'' I was surprised when I found my medium size post office box
crammed with orders. I made $319,210.00 in the first 12 weeks.
The nice thing about this deal is that it does not matter
where people live. There simply isn't a better investment with a
faster return and so big''.
Dan Sondstrom, Alberta,
Canada
-----------------------------------------------------------
'' I had received this program before. I deleted it, but later
I wondered if I should have given it a try. Of course, I had no
no idea who to contact to get another copy, so I had to wait
until I was e-mailed again by someone else.........11 months
passed then it luckily came again...... I did not delete this
one! I made more than $490,000 on my first try and all the money
came within 22 weeks''.
Susan De Suza,
New York, N.Y.
----------------------------------------------------
'' It really is a great opportunity to make relatively easy
money with little cost to you. I followed the simple
instructions carefully and within 10 days the money started to come in.
My first month I made $ 20, 560.00 and by the end of third
month my total cash count was $ 362,840.00. Life is
beautiful, Thanx to internet''.
Fred Dellaca, Westport,
New Zealand
------------------------------------------------------------
ORDER YOUR REPORTS TODAY AND GET STARTED ON
YOUR ROAD TO FINANCIAL FREEDOM !
=======================================================
If you have any questions of the legality of this program, contact the
Office of Associate Director for Marketing Practices, Federal Trade
Commission, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Washington, D.C.
////////////////////////////////////////////////
ONE TIME MAILING, NO NEED TO REMOVE
//////////////////////////////////////////////
This message is sent in compliance of the proposed bill SECTION 301.
per Section 301, Paragraph (a)(2)(C) of S. 1618. Further transmission to
you by the sender of this e-mail may be stopped at no cost to you by
sending a reply to : Sophie530@email.com with the word Remove in the
subject line. This message is not intended for residents in the State of Washington, screening of
addresses has been done to the best of our technical ability.
-------- T H E E N D ---------
July 2000
This particular scheme attempts to make the pyramid scheme legal by claiming to be selling a service. However, it is still an illegal pyramid scheme.
This pyramid has the distinction of being the target of the Make Money Fast Hoax Warning that claims it is a virus and will destroy your system.
Hello! I've got some awesome news that I think you need to take two
minutes to read if you have ever thought "How could I make some
serious cash in a hurry???" , or been in serious debt, ready to do
almost anything to get the money needed to pay off those bill
collectors. So grab a snack, a warm cup of coffee, or a glass of your
favorite beverage, get comfortable and listen to this interesting,
exciting find!
Let me start by saying that I FINALLY FOUND IT! That's right!.
found it! And I HATE GET RICH QUICK SCHEMES!! I hate those schemes
like multi-level marketing, mail-order schemes, envelope stuffing
scams, 900 number scams... the list goes on forever. I have tried
every darn get rich quick scheme out there over the past 12 years. I
somehow got on mailing lists for people looking to make money (more
like 'desperate stupid people who will try anything for money!').
Well, when I was a teenager, these claims to 'get me rich quick'
sounded irresistible! I would shell out $14.95 here, $29.95 there,
$24.95 here, and another $49.95 there. I had maxed out my new Circuit
City Card AND my Visa...I was desperate for money!! So, I gave them
all a chance but failed at every one of them! Maybe they worked for
some people, but not for me. Eventually, I just tossed that JUNK MAIL
in the trash when I got the mail. I recognized it right away. I
can smell a money scam from a mile away these days, SO I THOUGHT....
I thought I could sniff out a scam easily. WAS I WRONG!! ....I LOVE
THE INTERNET!!!
I was scanning thru a NEWSGROUP and saw an article stating to
GET CASH FAST!! I thought..."Here on the Internet?? Well, I'll just
have to see what schemes could possibly be on the internet." The
article described a way to MAIL A ONE DOLLAR BILL TO ONLY FIVE PEOPLE
AND MAKE $50, 0000 IN CASH WITHIN 4 WEEKS! Well, the more I thought
about it, the more I became very curious. Why? Because of the way it
worked AND BECAUSE IT WOULD ONLY COST ME FIVE DOLLARS (AND FIVE
STAMPS), THAT'S ALL I EVER PAY....EVER!!
Ok, so the $50,000 in cash was maybe an tough amount to reach, but
it was possible. I knew that I could at least get a return of $1,000
or so. So I did it!! As per the instructions in the article, I mailed
out ('snail mail'for you e-mail fanatics) a single dollar bill to each
of the five people on the list that was contained in the article. I
included a small note, with the dollar, that stated "Please Add Me To
Your List." I then removed the first position name of the five names
listed and moved everyone up one position, and I put my name in
position five of the list. This is how the money starts rolling in!
I then took this revised article now with my name on the list and
REPOSTED IT ON AS MANY NEWSGROUPS AND LOCAL BULLETIN BOARD
MESSAGE AREAS THAT I KNEW. I then waited to watch the money come
in...prepared to maybe receive about $1000 to $1500 in cash or so....
But what a welcome surprise when those envelopes kept coming in!!! I
knew what they were as soon as I saw the return addresses from people
all over the world-Most from the U.S., but some from Canada, even some
from Australia! I tell you, THAT WAS EXCITING!! So how much did I
get in total return? $1000? $5000? Not even!!! I received a total of
$23,343!!! I couldn't believe it!!
Let's review the reasons why you should do this: The only cost
factors are for the five stamps, the 5 envelopes and the 5 one dollar
bills that you send out to the listed names by snail mail (US Postal
Service Mail). Then just simply repost the article (WITH YOUR NAME
ADDED) to all the newsgroups and local BBS's you can. Then sit back
and, (ironically), enjoy walking (you can run if you like! :o ) down
your driveway to your mailbox and scoop up your rewards!! We all have
five dollars to put into such an easy effortless investment with
SPECTACULAR REALISTIC RETURNS OF $15,000 to $25,000 in about 3-5
weeks! So HOLD OFF ON THOSE LOTTERY NUMBERS FOR TODAY,EAT AT HOME
TONIGHT INSTEAD OF TAKEOUT FROM McDONALDS AND INVEST FIVE DOLLARS IN
THIS AMAZING MONEY MAKING SYSTEM NOW!!! YOU CAN'T LOSE!!
So how do you do it exactly, you ask? I have carefully provided
the most detailed, yet straightforward instructions on how to easily
get this underway and get your cash on its way. SO, ARE YOU READY TO
MAKE SOME CASH!!!?? HERE WE GO!!!
*** THE LIST OF NAMES IS AT THE END OF THIS ARTICLE. ***
OK, Read this carefully. Get a printout of this information, if you
like, so you can easily refer to it as often as needed.
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Take a sheet of paper and write on it the following:
"Please add my name to your list". This creates a service out of this
money making system and thus making it completely legal. You are not
just randomly sending a dollar to someone, you are paying one dollar
for a legitimate service. Make sure you include your name and
address. I assure you that, again, this is completely legal! For a
neat little twist, also write what slot their name was in: "You were
in slot 3", Just to add a little fun! This is all about having fun
and making money at the same time!
2. Now fold this sheet of paper around a dollar bill ,(no checks or
money orders), and put them into an envelope and send it on its way to
the five people listed. The folding of the paper around the bill will
insure its arrival to its recipient. THIS STEP IS IMPORTANT!!
3. Now listen carefully, here's where you get YOUR MONEY COMING TO
YOUR MAILBOX. Look at the list of five people; remove the first
name from position one and move everyone on the list up slot one on
the list. Position 2 name will now move to the position 1 slot ,
position 3 will now become position 2, 4 will be be 3, 5 wil be 4.
Now put your name, address, zipcode AND COUNTRY in position 5, the
bottom position on the list.
4. Now upload this updated file to as many newsgroups and local
bulletin boards' message areas & file section as possible. Give a
catchy description of the file so it gets noticed!! Such as:
"NEED FAST CASH?, HERE IT IS!" or "NEED CASH TO PAY OFF
YOUR DEBTS??", etc. And the more uploads, the more money you will
make, and of course, the more money the others on the list will make
too. LET'S ALL TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER BY BEING HONEST AND BY PUTTING
FORTH 120 PERCENT INTO THIS PROFITABLE & AMAZING SYSTEM!!! You'll reap
the benefits, believe me!!! Set a goal for the number of total uploads
you'll post, such as 15-20 postings or more! Always have a goal in
mind!!! If you can UUE encode the file when uploading, that will make
it easier for the people to receive it and have it downloaded to their
hard drive. That way they get a copy of the article right on their
computer without hassles of viewing and then saving the article from
the File menu. Don't alter the file type, leave it as an MS-DOS Text
file. The best test is to be able to view this file using Microsoft's
Notepad for Windows 3.x or WordPad for Windows '95. If the margins
look right without making the screen slide left or right when at the
ends of the sentences, you're in business!
5. If you need help uploading, simply ask the sysop of the BBS, or
"POST" a message on a newsgroup asking how to post a file, tell them
who your Internet provider is and PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS BE GLAD TO HELP.
I would try to describe how to do it but there are simply too many
internet software packages with slightly different yet relatively
simple ways to post or upload a file. Just ask for help or look in
the help section for 'posting'. I do know that for GNN, you simply
select 'POST' then enter a catchy description under the subject box,
choose 'ATTACH', selecting 'UUE' and NOT 'TXT', then choose 'Browse'
to go look for the file. Find your text file CASH.TXT and click on it
and choose 'OK'. Place a one line statement in the main body section
of the message post screen. Something like "Download this to read how
to get cash arriving in your mailbox with no paybacks!" or whatever.
Just make sure it represents its true feasibility, NOT something
like..."Get one million dollars flooding in your mailbox in two days!"
You'll never get ANY responses!
6. And this is the step I like. JUST SIT BACK AND ENJOY LIFE BECAUSE
CASH IS ON ITS THE WAY!! Expect to see a little money start to
trickle in around 2 weeks, but AT ABOUT WEEKS 3 & 4, THE MONEY STORM
WILL HIT YOUR MAILBOX!! All you have to do is take it out of the
mailbox and try not to scream too loud (outside anyway) when you
realize YOU HIT THE BIG TIME AT LAST!!
7. So go PAY OFF YOUR BILLS AND DEBTS and then get that something
special you always wanted or buy that special person in your life (or
the one you want in your life) a gift they'll never forget. ENJOY
LIFE!
8. Now when you get low on this money supply, simply re-activate
this file again; Reposting it in the old places where you originally
posted and possibly some new places you now know of. Don't ever lose
this file, always keep a copy at your reach for when you ever need
cash. THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE TOOL THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS RE-USE TIME AND
TIME AGAIN WHEN CASH IS NEEDED!
[ Name List Removed ]
*** AGAIN, HONESTY IS THE BEST THING WE HAVE GOING FOR US ON THIS
PLAN.
July 2001
The pyramid guys finally figured that selling a book is still a pyramid scheme so here is a new one where you loan money to each person on the pyramid. In addition, the promoter of the pyramid takes a 1% cut for using his website. I expect the owner of the website is going to get a visit from the Feds sometime soon.
This offer is sent to you because you sent me
mail and you might like to try this, just like I did.
Sometimes the simple way works best.
RECEIVE more than $20,000,-- IN THE NEXT 8 DAYS!
.......OR WHATEVER!
Repeat this process every 10 days and you
will be earning $60,000,-- month after month!!
There is no High Yield Interest Program (HYIP) that
will give you this kind of profit in such a short time!
And all you risk is $8.08,--
It takes only $8.08,-- and 2 days work to receive $22,220,--
within 8 days. In these 2 days... can you find 10
people who need money so much, that they are willing
to repeat this process to get their hands on $22,220,--
in just 8 days?
To begin with, create your free e-gold account at
www.e-gold.com !!!
Next, you send
a $2.02 loan to the e-gold account in #1 position,
a $2.02 loan to the e-gold account in #2 position,
a $2.02 loan to the e-gold account in #3 position and
a $2.02 loan to the e-gold account in #4 position.
E-gold charges a 1% fee which leaves $2 per deposit.
As each new person sign up and send $2.02 to the #1
account, the revised letter moves your account one
level higher.
When your account number reaches the top level, you
will have $22,220 in your e-gold account.
1) E-gold: 334794
2) E-gold: 330960
3) E-gold: 334861
4) E-gold 334864
#1) 1000 x 10 = 10000 people x $2 = $20,000,--
#2) 100 x 100 = 1000 people x $2 = $ 2,000,--
#3) 10 x 10 = 100 people x $2 = $ 200,--
#4) 10 people x $2 = $ 20,--
After sending $2.02 to the e-gold account in the
number 1 position, remove that number, move the
other 3 numbers up and put your e-gold account
number in the #4 position.
Perfect performance by 10 people and a little luck
brings more than $20,000 within 8 days.
BE HONEST!! RESPECT YOUR KARMA AND YOU
WILL HAVE MORE MONEY IN YOUR LIFE.
!!LIVE YOUR LIFE FREE!!
March 2001
Pushing the buttons does not do anything in this message as there is no code attached to the message. You could create a web page that displays a dialog box when you click a button but this message does not have it. Also, there is no way for the message to know if you have forwarded this message to anyone so there is no way for it to wait for you to send out 10 e-mails before displaying the answer to the riddle.
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2001 4:14 PM Subject: Do This! Its hysterical!! An old lady walked into a Grocery Store. She wanted to buy the best dog food in the world for her little puppy. She went up to the cash register to buy the food. The sales-lady told her that the store did not allow old ladies to buy animal food unless they show the actual animal because a lot of old ladies like to eat the animal food themselves. So the old lady went home, got her dog and went back to the store to buy her dog food. The next day she came back to buy the best cat food around. But the Saleslady told her the same thing, so the old lady went back home and brought her cat to the Grocery Store to buy the cat food. The next day the old lady went to the Grocery Store again carrying a big container. She went up to the sales lady and said, "Put your hand inside here". The Saleslady shook her head. "NO", she said, "there is probably something in there that will bite me!". "I promise you that there is nothing in here that will bite you.", the old lady said. So the Saleslady stuck her hand inside the container and screamed. ___ To find out what was inside the container you must send this to at least 10 people, when it says, your mail has been sent...instead of clicking OK, hit ALT-8 and the container will pop up on your screen.
August 2001
Most chain letters use a threat of some sort (bad luck, etc.) to get you to pass on the chain. Some of the newer chains threaten the Wrath of the Almighty to get you to pass it on. This particular chain has the distinction of being the basis of a popular, country western song by John Michael Montgomery.
Note: This is a true article that was printed in a southern newspaper less than a year ago. TAKE A DEEP BREATH BEFORE READING THIS. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ There was an atheist couple who had a child. The couple never told their daughter anything about the Lord. One night when the little girl was 5 years old, the parents fought with each other and the dad shot the Mom, right in front of the child. Then, the dad shot himself. The little girl watched it all. She then was sent to a foster home. The foster mother was a Christian and took the child to church. On the first day of Sunday School, the foster mother told the teacher that the girl had never heard of Jesus, and to have patience with her. The teacher held up a picture of Jesus and said, "Does anyone know who this is?" The little girl said, "I do, that's the man who was holding me the night my parents died."
September 2001
This Chain letter started circulating in various forms a week after the events of September 11. Note that it does not list a date, only a time so there is no way for you to know what day you are supposed to go outside. It might be an interesting experiment to see how much of an increase in background light would occur if everyone was holding a candle I doubt it would be much though. You are welcome to hold up a candle but don't expect to get your picture taken.
This one started with a request from the writer that everyone step out and light a candle.
Friday Night at 7:00 p.m. EST step out your door, stop your car, or step out of your establishment and light a candle. We will show the world that Americans are strong and united together against terrorism. Please pass this to everyone on your e-mail list. We need to reach everyone across the United States quickly.
It then changed to say that the US was making the request.
Pretty impressive and another statement to be made if everyone participates..... 10:30 EASTERN TIME.... 9:30 Central, 8:30 Mountain, 7:30 Pacific The U.S. has asked that everyone step out on their lawns tonight at 10:30 and light a candle. They will be taking a satellite picture of the U.S. and posting it on the news tomorrow morning. Please pass this on to as many people as possible.
And finally it changed to say that NASA was making the request and was going to take a picture.
-Subject: Candle Memorial Tonight A formal request from NASA: 10:30 EASTERN TIME.... 9:30 Central, 8:30 Mountain, 7:30 Pacific NASA has asked that everyone step out on their lawns tonight at 10:30 and light a candle. They will be taking a satellite picture of the US and posting it on the news tomorrow morning. Please pass this on to as many people as possible. Thank you.
Febuary 2002
This chain comes with an embedded java script that makes the pictures of Tweety (misspelled Tweedie) bounce around the screen. No matter how many people you send this to, you will never see Ronald.
I THOUGHT I SAW A TWEEDIE BIRD....NO TACOS.....NO RONALDS..... ----- Send this to 6 people and you will see the Taco Bell dog run across your screen . If you send this to 8 people Ronald Mcdonald comes out and attacks the taco bell dog. it is really funny and it works!! you have to try it .
January 2003
This is a standard chain with a threat. Send it out or you die. I think Amy's Ghost needs to be buried so send it to the trash.
Subject: Oh my goodness!!!!!
Dear Friends:
A few years ago at a high school in Nevada Something really sad
happened. There was this girl named Amy who loved this guy named Brian. They
were both popular and they were going out. There was this other girl,
Jessica. She Hated Amy and she also really liked Brian and Brian liked
Jessica. One day, when Brian and Amy were going out Jessica asked Brian out
to the movies behind Amy's back. However, Amy heard about it and followed
them. In the theaters and Brian weren't watching the moving, they were just
"making out." Jesse asked Brian to go to her house about half way through
the movie so that they could be alone. Amy followed them to Jesse's house
and watched them "fool around." The next day, Amy didn't come to school and
she didn't come to school the day after that. After about a week, Amy's Mom
was looking around Amy's room and found, in the closet the dead body of Amy
and next to it was a suicide not that said:
Dear Brian:
I killed myself because of you. I want you to tell everyone you
can about what you did to me or I will kill you and anyom=ne who stands in my
way of telling everyone about Jessica!
I love you,
Amanda
Now you have to send this to at least 15 people or the vengeful ghost of
Amy will kill YOU! Amy has to tell everyone about what Jessica did! This is
serious! One girl, a friend of mine deleted this because she thought it was
junkman. The next day, her mother found her dead in her bed and the autopsy
revealed no possible explanation for her death. You have 24 Hours to send
this out
April 2003
The last line of this message is an AOL buddylist link. Having it work has nothing to do with sending out this chain letter. The link can't do what the message says and who knows who you have just given access to your screen name.
Hey everyone! This is the coolest thing! This is sooooo kewl! All that you have to do is send this to 10 people and a new type of buddy list will appear after you send it! Mine can tell you exactly where someone is, who they're talking to, and if they have more than 1 s/n, it tells you what it is. This is soooooo neat!! It's colorful too. After you send it, click on the line. You can try to click on it now, but it won't work. You have to send it to 10 people first. It worked for me! Right now, I can see my friend's other screen name! And she is talking to someone we both know! It was also approved by AOL. This is not a joke. Beleive me. It took me a couple of days to make the new buddy list, but I have a Buddy List 2000 If you click on it before, all you will see is your own buddy list, so if you send it to 10 people and then click on the blue writing, you will have a new buddylist in seconds Someone sent this to me so i just sent it to u
April 2003
This is just your standard, dumb, chainletter.
Angel Tag I'll just take it as a hint if I don't get this back. How many people actually have 8 true friends? Hardly anyone I know! But some of us have all right friends and good friends!!! You have been tagged by the Friendship Angel Which means you are a great friend!! You will have good luck for Two Years if you send this to 8 people or more and if it is sent back to you then you know that you are a true friend..... You must send it in 5 minutes or your good luck will be broken!!!
April 2003
Another chain with an interesting psychological game included. Play the game but don't pass it on.
Try this but DON'T Cheat....it is really neat but DON'T CHEAT...... This is freaky as HECK...DO NOT CHEAT (You'll kick yourself later) I was a little skeptical trying this, but if you follow the instructions to the "t" you'll be surprised!!!! All of my answers were accurate. We'll see tomorrow if the wish comes true. I'll let you know. Take 3 minutes and try this...it will freak you out! The person who sent it to me said her wish came true 10 minutes after they read the mail. BUT NO CHEATING! This game has a funny/spooky outcome. Don't read ahead...just do it in order! It takes about three minutes...it's worth a try :) First..get a pen and paper. When you actually choose names, make sure it's people you actually know and go with your first instinct. Scroll down one line at a time...and don't read ahead or you'll ruin it! 1. First, write the numbers 1 through 11 in a column. 2. Then, beside numbers 1 and 2, write down any two numbers you want. 3. Beside the 3 and 7, write down the names of members of the opposite sex. NO LOOKING AHEAD...OR IT WONT TURN OUT RIGHT! 4. Write anyone's name (like friends or family....) in the 4th, 5th, and 6th spots. 5. Write down four song titles in 8,9, 10, and 11. GO WITH YOUR INSTINCT PEOPLE!!!! 6. Finally, make a wish. And now the key for the game..... 1. You must tell (the number in space 2) people about this game. 2. The person in space 3 is the one that you love. 3. The person in 7 is one you like but can't work out. 4. You care most about the person you put in 4. 5. The person you name in number 5 is the one who knows you very well. 6. The person you name in 6 is your lucky star. 7. The song in 8 is the song that matches with the person in number 3. 8. The title in 9 is the song for the person in 7. 9. The tenth space is the song that tells you most about YOUR mind. 10. and 11 is the song telling you how you feel about life NOW...send this to 10 people within the hour you read this...IF you do..your wish will come true.
June 2003
This one was so well done that I just had to put it up. OK, you can forward it to one really close friend. :-)
THE INCREDIBLE WALKING MAN
This is really interesting how someone did this.:
He's walking around the world - via e-mail!! Pass it
on so he can get there!
March 2004
"HAD TO TRY IT!! WHO KNOWS??" I have some shoice words that are not printable to the person who makes these kind of comments to an obvious hoax. This is just your standard send it for good luck; don't send it and you get bad luck chain letter.
HAD TO TRY IT!! WHO KNOWS??? WE COULD ALL USE A YEAR OF GOOD LUCK!!! This may sound nuts, but Dennis got this the other day and sent it off. About 10 minutes later a really good financial windfall happened for his son Sean who he had sent it too as well. One of the people he sent it to was responsible for the windfall. AN IRISH FRIENDSHIP WISH You had better send this back!!!! Good Luck!! I hope it works......... May there always be work for your hands to do; May your purse always hold a coin or two; May the sun always shine on your windowpane; May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain; May the hand of a friend always be near you; May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you. OK, this is what you have to do.... Send this to all of your friends! But - you HAVE to send this within 1 hour from when you open it! Now.................Make A wish!!!!!! I hope you made your wish! Now then, if you send to: 1 person --- your wish will be granted in 1 year 3 people --- 6 months 5 people --- 3 months 6 people --- 1 month 7 people --- 2 weeks 8 people --- 1 week 9 people --- 5 days 10 people --- 3 days 12 people --- 2 days 15 people --- 1 day 20 people --- 3 hours If you delete this after you read it... you will have 1 year of bad luck! But... if you send it 2 of your friends you will automatically have 3 years of good luck!!! :-)
March 2004
If this were truly a Science Fair project, there would be a way to send information back to the student doing the project and some kind of an ending date so it is not forwarded forever. This is just another chain that you are expected to send to everyone you know.
This is for a science fair project. If you could do this I would appreciate it! DON'T ASK, JUST PLAY...it's for kids! Copy and paste this letter into a new email (PLEASE do NOT hit "Forward"), then read the list of names. If your name is on the list, put a star * next to it. If not, then add your name (in alphabetical order, put no star.) Send it to ten people and send it back to the person who sent it to you. Put your name in the subject box! You'll see what happens - it's kind of cool! Please keep this going. Don't MESS it up, please! Aaron* Alan Amanda Andrew Ann Annettee Brad Carmella Carol Cheryl Cindy Daron Dave Deanna Debi Dianna* Donna Frank Hank Helen* Irene* Jacob Joe John Judy Julia Julie Kandy Kathie Kay Kina Laura* Linda*** Liz Lynn Mary* Mary Jo Martha Maureen Melissa Micheal Nancy Nita Pat Patty* Paula Phil Rickey Rusty Sandy Stacie Stephanie Susan Susie Tamara Tammy Tina Tirrell* Tracie Verlann Von Yolanda Val Cheryl Xxxxxx Special Education Administrative Secretary Mahomet-Seymour CUSD #3 586-4947
June 2006
This message is just a new variant of the pyramid scheme. The variation, of course, is that now you use PayPal to send payments to the prople on the list. Like all pyramid schemes, it is illegal.
Hoax Home | Hoax Info | Hoax Categories | Hoax Index | Search HoaxBusters | Other Hoax Sites | Notice To Users
UCRL-MI-140103
[Privacy and Legal Notice]
Notice To Users
hoaxmaster@ciac.org