The principle behind chain letters is essentially the same as pyramid schemes. Chain letters depend on duping friends and acquaintances into giving money to strangers in exchange for the promise of riches coming later from other sources. You receive a letter of solicitation, usually through the mail or the Internet, from a recruiter with a list of names on it, including the recruiters name at the bottom of the list. You are asked to send money to the name at the top of the list, and to add your name to the bottom. You are then asked to solicit more people to do the same by sending them the letter with your name at the bottom.
Money is made solely by getting new recruits to join the chain.
In theory, each recruit's name will be at the top of millions of lists and receive millions of dollars, but in reality, most people will receive nothing. The chain can be easily broken by anyone, thus depriving all those on the list of any possible earnings. TIPS If you receive a chain letter, consider that it could be part of an illegal monetary scheme and do not participate. MAIL Regulated and lawful lotteries are common in Canada and many other countries. There are, however, many illegal lotteries and games of chance operating from Canada which generally target citizens from the United States as well as persons from other countries.