Over the past few weeks I have been getting Pyramid schemes and chain letters. This is a disturbing trend because these mailpieces don’t come from a professional direct mail firm, but from private citizens. These victims spend their own money on envelops, photocopies and postage in hopes of getting money from other victims. USPS page on chain letters. They want you to 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.”
Let me be clear: the only person who is making money is the one on the top of the pyramid. Everyone else is a victim.
Person who participated in a chain letter and made a grand total of $3
I wish I knew how to get her name off the suckers list. The only way to stop these scams from attacking you is to fill out a from 1500 and send them to New York. These letters are very illegal and every person who’s name is on these letters is committing a crime.
Update: One chain letter letter mentions where to buy new names Dataline 800-497-2912. They are not the scammers! When you call them to get off their mailing list, be nice to them
This one from GN-Info PO Box 520 Danville, NH 03819-0520 is the most simple of my examples, one page, very strait forward. I only have to send them $1 or 2 stamps.
The Pursuit of a Better Life Program has a chart of how the pyramid scheme works. For this one you send $20 to 5 people.
The copy mentions Title 18, Section 1302 & 13442 of the US postal and lottery laws:
Whoever knowingly deposits in the mail, or sends or delivers by mail: Any letter, package, postal card, or circular concerning any lottery, gift enterprise, or similar scheme offering prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance; Any lottery ticket or part thereof, or paper, certificate, or instrument purporting to be or to represent a ticket, chance, share, or interest in or dependent upon the event of a lottery, gift enterprise, or similar scheme offering prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance; Any check, draft, bill, money, postal note, or money order, for the purchase of any ticket or part thereof, or of any share or chance in any such lottery, gift enterprise, or scheme; Any newspaper, circular, pamphlet, or publication of any kind containing any advertisement of any lottery, gift enterprise, or scheme of any kind offering prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance, or containing any list of the prizes drawn or awarded by means of any such lottery, gift enterprise, or scheme, whether said list contains any part or all of such prizes; Any article described in section 1953 of this title – Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both; and for any subsequent offense shall be imprisoned not more than five years.
Infinity Pay 200 from Quarterly Connection PO Box 468 Moffat, CO 81143
This one boasts that it was launched in April 2014. Presumably so that you know you are still close to the top of the pyramid. They want you to send in $244 to get the kit.
The Infinity Income Dealership by Alliance Publishing 3011 West 183rd St #342, Homewood, IL 60430. Chat on RealScam.com, Chat on Scam.com about Alliance Publishing, Catherine Reece, and Patricia Tate. You send $97 to Homewood,Il and $100 to the person who actually mailed the letter to you.
Mike Caruana’s Lotto Magic PO Box 8175 Van Nuys 91499-4139 or 21 Racetrack Rd NE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547-1849
Blog about Lotto Magic. Another not so friendly blog about Lotto Magic.
New Dimensions 50K Team PO Box 969, Grayson, GA 30017
It is a MLM pitch for Body Balance liquid health supplement made by Life Force International 12460 Kirkham Court Poway, CA 92064. You send in $9.95 and they send you 1,000 post cards to mail out. A similar pitch is on the Life Force website.
As Seen on Oprah and 20/20 Chain Letter scam. This letter mentions where to buy new names Dataline 800-497-2912. They are not the scammers! When you call them to get off their mailing list, be nice to them. An example of the letter from 2009.
Rob Leonard’s The Green Sheet scam AKA Massive Profits In Sports & Concerts
Platinum Acquisitions INC. 228 W Lincoln HWY #133 Schereville, IN 46375
They have bought and tested all the MLM and Pyramid scams for you. Just send them $20, and they will tell you how to make letters like this one to take peoples money.
Balboa Mailing Company George Taylor 510 W, Broadway STE 800 San Diego CA 92101. Mail letters from home. Make $1000 to $5000 a week. But you have to pay them anywhere from $99 for 99 leads, all the way up to $399 for 500 leads.
Free Marketing System! Nathan Dickerson PO Box 1328 Elizabethtown, KY 42702. Send them $10 for a package to learn how to send out post cards like this one.
The Progressive Generator JAN-L Marketing Inc 9805 Tamarisk Pkwy Louisville KY 40223. Just $10 for the start up pack.
Smartz Marketing, They have an F from the BBB, Old El Paso Coffee Company BBB page, PO Box 971618 El Paso TX 79997. (915) 546-9944. A very entertaining Rip-off Report complaint about Smartz Marketing and Jan-l Marketing. This is a sample of the “Your Coffee Club” MLM scam.
American Bill Money PO Box 4008, Portsmouth VA 23701 (757) 455-3551. Get Started for $25 (leads and postcards are extra) Ripoff Report page.
Flickr album of Chain Letters. I will add more as I get them.
Drowning in Junk Mail 