The Lowdown on Chain Letters September 2000 E verybody's received them - chain letters or email messages that promise a big return on a small investment. The theory behind chain letters is that by the time your name gets to the top of the list, so many people will be involved that you'll be inundated with whatever the chain promises to deliver. If you start one or send one on, you could be breaking the law. Despite the claims, a chain letter will never make you rich. Some chain letters try to win your confidence by claiming that they're legal, and even that they're endorsed by the government.
Nothing is further from the truth.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel , a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies U.S. and abroad.