X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: f996b,b13b9cc466cebedb X-Google-Attributes: gidf996b,public From: Zeus Simeoni Subject: Re: Pyramid schemes are illegal Date: 1997/10/16 Message-ID: <3446A75F.5E70@hotmail.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 281115351 References: <34459FFD.23AC@cats.ucsc.edu> Organization: University of Maine Newsgroups: alt.ascii-art Joseph Lazaro wrote: > > Pyramid schemes have long been illegal when conducted by mail in the > United States or Canada. > > Reasons not to try multi-level marketing schemes: > - You Could Be Prosecuted > - You Will Get Flames > - You Will Probably Lose Internet Access > - You Could Even Reduce Your Nation to Chaos * I bet you think I'm > exaggerating. > > Confirm these facts and get full information on pryamid schemes > available at http://www.wco.com/~rteeter/pyramid.html > Please take a minute to check it out for your own benefit. Well, even though this has absolutly nothing to do with this newsgroup, I just wanted to say that that last message was misleading to say the very least. Yes, 'pyramid schemes' are illegal, and I find the ones posted here just as annoying as the next person, but you generalize with your statement. Multi-level marketing, by definition alone, is NOT an illegal pyramid scheme, although several pyramids do falsely take on the name Multi-level marketing to give themselves more credit than they earn. But don't put down a legitimate business operation just because a few morons decide they like to call themselves that. Oh, and using the internet or mail does not make one of these illegal. It is merely a common way illegal schemes are distributed. The part people should watch out for is the schemes that actually do not distribute a product or service. That is what makes them illegal. I have actually seen chain letters where you send everyone who gives you a buck a recipie or such, and said distribution of an actual product or service actually makes that chain letter legal, even though it was done over the U.S. Postal Service. So try to research something before you put it down, for your own sake. You may just overlook something that could help you. Zeus