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A Postal-Mail Chain Letter?
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Posted By:
Maegan
in Tampa, FL - USA
Nov 14, 2004
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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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Page 20 of 88 pages ‹ First < 18 19 20 21 22 > Last › |
Greg
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 | 12:00 PM
Dude....you confused me for a minute when you said Arnold.
The first Arnold that came to my mind was Arnold Ziffle from Green Acres.....
I tried to picture him saying "I'll be back" |
Orlando
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Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 | 04:46 PM
 Reading this is like reading the books of Cronics in the Bible. Almost 3 years, WOW, and I hasn't seen anybody that sent these letters being prosecuted.
Does anybody knows somebody in jail for this?
I don't think so.
Yesterday while I was walking to my mail box outside of my house I stop and looked at my garage door. My first think was "dude I need to replace that" then I looked at my grass, and so, and so, and so and realized that my old house need to be fixed and I don't have the money to do it for a while (unless I refinance my house which is the worst scam ever). When checked at my mail I receive the same chain from April Gonzalez in Kuna, ID (I think after 3 years still working)and since last night I hasn't sleep well thinking in this freaking letter. I researched over the internet like never before and there is thousands of people doing the same thing also with Paypal and finally I saw this forum with real people.
what I am going to do to find out if this work is doing my own investigation. I will record everything for a period of 6 month and them post the result in a web page that I will create.
If I win, good. If not, at least people will find out if is true or false that this can work.
PD: one more question:
Are mailing list illeagal?
If not, My brother have over 500,000 address and I will probbably make a living out of that |
Orlando
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Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 | 06:31 PM
:-( Honestly I don't think I will do this, let me just work hard!!!
Please guys read this:
"My name is Karen Liddell; I'm a 35-year-old mom, wife, and part-time accountant. As a rule, I delete all unsolicited "junk" e-mail and use my account primarily for business. I received what I assumed was this same e-mail countless times and deleted it each time."
For the past few years, a chain letter with the above introduction has been circulating around the Internet. The chain letter describes how you can send $5.00 to four strangers, place your name on a list, and then make a large amount of money. Most significantly, the letter insists that chain letters of this sort are legal because a "product is being offered."
That is false. As I have learned, this chain letter is against the law in all fifty states. And I'm paying dearly for it.
I am the Karen Liddell who wrote that letter. It's true that I was a 35-year-old housewife. It's not true that I'm an accountant; I added that part to make the chain letter seem legitimate. I didn't see the harm in what I thought to be a minor lie.
Most importantly, I did not earn the money I claimed to. When I wrote that introduction, I had just received the chain letter, and I thought that embellishing it with a new introduction would encourage people to participate.
The past few years have been very difficult for me. I have been harrassed via e-mail, and threatening letters have been mailed to my house. Most importantly, I have been contacted by the U.S. Postal Service. First, they sent me a letter. Then, as they received more complaints, they called me. Then, they summoned me to a hearing, where I was fined for doing this. All mail to my house is now being redirected to the U.S. Post Office and I have to wait several days before receiving it. My reputation is ruined, and many times when I try applying for a job, I get asked about if I'm the one on the chain letter. When I say "yes", usually that's when the interview ends.
This chain letter, like all chain letters which request money, is illegal. The parts about it being legal due to a "product being sold" were added by a con artist to fool people into thinking it was legal. It fooled me. And, by the number of copies of the letter I've seen with my name on it, it's fooled a lot of you, too.
The odds are probably small that you will be caught if you participate in a chain letter on the Internet. They made an example out of me. I urge you not to take the chance. Do not participate in this chain letter. If you receive any mail or see any Web site which asks you to send cash to a list of people, be wary. If it says it's legal, it's probably just to fool you.
More Information:
http://www.cs.rutgers.edu/~watrous/liddell-reports-chain-letter.html |
Cranky Media Guy
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Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 | 12:20 AM
I'm confused, Orlando. Are you saying you ARE or ARE NOT going to get involved in a chain letter?
"what I am going to do to find out if this work is doing my own investigation. I will record everything for a period of 6 month and them post the result in a web page that I will create."
Great idea! That will save the Postal Service's investigators a LOT of work.
No worries, though. Greg says chain letters are legal (even though every available FACT says otherwise) so you CAN'T POSSIBLY get into trouble. And pigs fly. |
Orlando
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Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 | 12:22 PM
Cranky says:
"I'm confused, Orlando. Are you saying you ARE or ARE NOT going to get involved in a chain letter?"
At this point, the reason why I like to get involve was to do this investigation and then post it in YouTube for the video and my own web page for my conclusions.
After what happen with that 35 yr old mom I got a little bit scarry.
I will like to know if I/you/or any person posses a mailing list and sell it is illegal.
It's clear that the two mailing list companies listed in the letters are the winners and they probably started this whole thing. |
Cranky Media Guy
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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 | 12:25 AM
Orlando, under normal circumstances, selling a mailing list is NOT illegal. They become illegal when their purpose is for people on the list to mail money to each other. Please understand that I'm not a lawyer and that is a VERY loose explanation. The bottom line is that LEGITIMATE mailing lists (as many companies maintain and some large companies sell) are legal and chain letters are ILLEGAL.
Be very careful with your actions. |
Orlando
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Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2007 | 02:42 PM
Thanks Cranky Media Guy,
I really do appreciate your advice. Sometimes it's really hard to accept when we are doing something wrong. |
Cranky Media Guy
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Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 | 12:34 AM
Thanks for saying that, Orlando. As you seem to have come to realize, it's very easy to convince ourselves that what we're doing is OK, especially when there's the temptation of easy money dangling in front of us.
As I've said before, the odds of getting caught running a chain letter are probably low. If you DO, however, the Postal Service's investigative unit has a VERY high rate of conviction. Besides, you seem like a decent guy; how good would you feel knowing you cheated other people out of money, even if it was just a small amount from each of them? |
Cranky Media Guy
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Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 | 01:05 PM
WV asswhooper said:
"I,m getting money in the mail. Funny I havent been arrested."
There should be a "yet" at the end of that sentence. You may never get arrested, but the fact that you haven't yet is not proof that you WON'T.
"But then again as CMG said I didnt originate the letter."
I don't think I've ever said anything like that. Anyway, the fact that the chain didn't originate with you isn't relevant. If you'll look at the material which has been quoted or linked to here previously, you'll see that it's also illegal to participate in a chain. You don't have to be the one who STARTED it.
"It,s all illegal if you wanna say it is."
It isn't what I or anyone else here says that's relevant. It's what the Postal Service and the FBI say that matter.
"I dont really give a rats ass one way or another."
Easy to say that when you haven't gotten into trouble for something. I suspect you'd care a LOT if and when you were indicted. You've admitted here that you know who started the chain; that information could be of interest to authorities investigating the chain.
"Anal and oral sex is illegal in many states. Done both, still walking free."
Irrelevant. It makes no sense to compare private sexual behavior which involves no third party to a chain letter which takes money from people under a false premise. |
Greg
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Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 | 08:30 PM
Hey if you are married your wife takes money under false premise........and maybe participates in some of that illegal sexual behavior in return.
Wow, that puts her in double jeopardy.
Anyway, just the thought of the FBI investigating a 6 dollar chain letter, makes me worry about how our judicial system is using our tax dollars.
Do you think if someone got busted participating in a chain letter they would soon befriend people like, The Son Of Sam......Jeffery Dahmer......Charles Manson, or even Lincoln Burrows????? |
Cranky Media Guy
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 | 12:33 AM
Greg said:
"Hey if you are married your wife takes money under false premise........and maybe participates in some of that illegal sexual behavior in return.
Wow, that puts her in double jeopardy."
Nonsense. A married couple has joint ownership of property under the law.
Besides, even if your point made sense, you'd be employing the "two wrongs make a right" false logic.
"Anyway, just the thought of the FBI investigating a 6 dollar chain letter, makes me worry about how our judicial system is using our tax dollars."
Well, the Postal Service's investigative unit would be the lead law enforcement organization looking into a chain letter as it is charged with enforcing postal law. The FBI would only come into it if needed.
Besides, no chain letter is a "6 dollar chain letter." It may be 6 dollars PER PARTICIPANT but as you well know, the intent is to involve as many people as possible. After all, how many times have you and other people here talked about how much they hope to make from participating in one? You certainly aren't going into it to make 6 dollars!
"Do you think if someone got busted participating in a chain letter they would soon befriend people like, The Son Of Sam......Jeffery Dahmer......Charles Manson, or even Lincoln Burrows?????"
Huh? I can't follow you there. Besides, as I keep saying over and over, it isn't about what *I* think. It's about what the LAW thinks. Federal law says that chain letters involving money are ILLEGAL. All the arguing with me you care to do will NOT change that simple fact. |
Greg
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 | 06:17 AM
Blanky.....you are the most hard headed and maybe the dumbest man I have ever come across.
I sincerely mean that.
What does having joint ownership under the law have to do with your wife taking money from you?
It is obvious you have never been married.
Who would want you????
MRS. CRANKY...where are you?
I SAID:
"Do you think if someone got busted participating in a chain letter they would soon befriend people like, The Son Of Sam......Jeffery Dahmer......Charles Manson, or even Lincoln Burrows?????"
Cranky SAID:
Huh? I can't follow you there.
Why can't you follow me when I mentioned real criminals? (except for Lincoln Burrows of course)
What you really meant was "DUH...I CANT FOLLOW YOU" |
Greg
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 | 06:19 AM
Now I know you are a dumbocrat Spanky....... |
Amanda
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Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2007 | 05:47 PM
I'm getting money! neener, neener neener! |
Cranky Media Guy
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Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 | 01:16 AM
You know, Greg, if *I* had a perfectly legal way to make 10 times my money with little effort, I wouldn't spend five seconds on this forum.
I'd take every dollar I had or could borrow and put it all into multiple chain letters. Then I'd take my incredible profit and put that back into chain letters.
Soon, I'd be supervising a room full of employees working three shifts, seven days a year, doing nothing but opening the envelopes filled with money that poured in to me. I'd be too busy flying around the world in my private jet to bother with silly things like arguing online.
Actually, Greg, I know why you aren't doing that. I shouldn't tell you this, but what the hell.
Once a month, during the full moon, I sneak quietly down to the local Grange Hall. There, waiting for me, are every woman you've ever dated, along with the Postmaster General of the United States and the Director of the FBI.
Once I've arrived and the door is locked behind me, we collectively decide how to keep you from making that sweet, sweet LEGAL chain letter money. We are all Democrats, of course.
Even though the Postal Service and the FBI *say* that chain letters are illegal, that's a lie and not the real reason you aren't farting through silk underwear, Greg.
No, Greg, as you've long suspected, the world IS out to keep you from getting ahead. Especially the evil women and the Democrats. Oh, and me, of course. |
Computer Guru
in CyberSpace
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Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 | 05:21 AM
Take the Democrats and Postal Service out of it. you what Al Gore Invented, The Internet (or was he dishonest about that too"
just use the Paypal method, save your stamp if you really want to do this.
If the FBI really wanted to arrest someone they should arrest those diet pills makers that are on TV they say " If it was not true we couln't say it on TV" They are selling you a pill that will reduce your weight so they can make money, you don't loose the weight but they still get the money. and new one like this pop-up daily so it this a TV chain....
By the way Democrats you can use this for your lies this year I'm tired of the "I approved this message" so just use " If it wasn't true I coun't say it on TV."
If all about the Cranky Media Guy, Democrats, and the Postal Service. Just be sure you add them to your chain letter and they will look the other way..... |
Computer Guru
in in CyberSpace
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Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 | 05:37 AM
Now that I had my fun. I really have one question for the ones of you that are doing this or thinking of doing this. since this letter is saying as seen on Opera Winfrey and 20/20 can someone tell me which of these episodes it was on? I can't seem to find it, if it was on Opera Winfrey we should turn here in to the FBI to see how they handle it so all of this debating can end.
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/c/chains.htm |
Computer Guru
in in CyberSpace
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Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 | 06:03 AM
Man you got to love Google.com
Seems Oprah may have heard the FBI was after her so they delete the episode so no one would find it and put this statement on her website.
She must be a Democrat.
Ol well I've had my fun for the day. I just seen this site as I was looking for information to show the old saying Mom always says is true. "If it sounds to go to be true, it probably is."
Cranky Media Guy hope I didn't make you mad just a little fun before I had to bring the truth to the Get rich quick. O'l by the way do a google search for Oprah and the $5 dollar chain letter, you can do this one and still have a $1 to play the Lotto this week. by the way this link to Oprah's statemant can be found here.
http://www2.oprah.com/email/email_scam.jhtml
By the way Look for my new Spam letter Doctor Phil is promoting it this week LOL |
Greg
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Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 | 08:08 AM
I only have one question after your last bit of nonsense Cranky.....How did you know I wear silk underwear???? Have you been wayching me????? |
Greg
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Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 | 08:08 AM
watching.....sorry for the typo |
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