Are Chain Letters illegal?

Question

my dad says chain letters are illegal. like if someone says like
" copy, paste, and send this to 10 other ppl or a ghost will kill you tonight", would that be illegal?

Answer 1

Chain letters are not illegal if sent as email or make no promises of monetary gain and sent snail mail.

If there is a promise of monetary gain for sending the sender 'x' amount of money then sending the letter to 'y' number of people, then they are illegal. It's called mail fraud.

Answer 2

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Chain Letters

A chain letter is a "get rich quick" scheme that promises that your mail box will soon be stuffed full of cash if you decide to participate. You're told you can make thousands of dollars every month if you follow the detailed instructions in the letter.

A typical chain letter includes names and addresses of several individuals whom you may or may not know. You are instructed to send a certain amount of money--usually $5--to the person at the top of the list, and then eliminate that name and add yours to the bottom. You are then instructed to mail copies of the letter to a few more individuals who will hopefully repeat the entire process. The letter promises that if they follow the same procedure, your name will gradually move to the top of the list and you'll receive money -- lots of it.

There's at least one problem with chain letters. They're illegal if they request money or other items of value and promise a substantial return to the participants. Chain letters are a form of gambling, and sending them through the mail (or delivering them in person or by computer, but mailing money to participate) violates Title 18, United States Code, Section 1302, the Postal Lottery Statute. (Chain letters that ask for items of minor value, like picture postcards or recipes, may be mailed, since such items are not things of value within the meaning of the law.)

Recently, high-tech chain letters have begun surfacing. They may be disseminated over the Internet, or may require the copying and mailing of computer disks rather than paper. Regardless of what technology is used to advance the scheme, if the mail is used at any step along the way, it is still illegal.

The main thing to remember is that a chain letter is simply a bad investment. You certainly won't get rich. You will receive little or no money. The few dollars you may get will probably not be as much as you spend making and mailing copies of the chain letter.

Chain letters don't work because the promise that all participants in a chain letter will be winners is mathematically impossible. Also, many people participate, but do not send money to the person at the top of the list. Some others create a chain letter that lists their name numerous times--in various forms with different addressee. So, in reality, all the money in a chain is going to one person.

Do not be fooled if the chain letter is used to sell inexpensive reports on credit, mail order sales, mailing lists, or other topics. The primary purpose is to take your money, not to sell information. "Selling" a product does not ensure legality. Be doubly suspicious if there's a claim that the U.S. Postal Service or U.S. Postal Inspection Service has declared the letter legal. This is said only to mislead you. Neither the Postal Service nor Postal Inspectors give prior approval to any chain letter.

Participating in a chain letter is a losing proposition. 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."

Answer 3

It is illegal if the letter asks the recipients to send money (or something of value). Here's what the US Postal Inspection Service says:

There's at least one problem with chain letters. They're illegal if they request money or other items of value and promise a substantial return to the participants. Chain letters are a form of gambling, and sending them through the mail (or delivering them in person or by computer, but mailing money to participate) violates Title 18, United States Code, Section 1302, the Postal Lottery Statute. (Chain letters that ask for items of minor value, like picture postcards or recipes, may be mailed, since such items are not things of value within the meaning of the law.)

Follow the link to read the full statement.

Answer 4

Maybe. A typical chain letter consists of a message that attempts to induce the recipient to make a number of copies of the letter and then pass them on to one or more new recipients. In the United States it is illegal to mail chain letters that involve pyramid schemes or other such financial inducements under Title 18, United States Code, Section 1302, the Postal Lottery Statute, though chain letters that ask for items of minor value such as business cards or recipes are not covered by this law.

Answer 5

no, it is not illegal. some ppl do it as a joke to freak out other ppl b/c they think it's funny. other ppl might do it as a way to get support for a greater cause. such as promoting charities or a religious belief or notion. besides, if it was illegal, how in the world, are authorities going to catch, let alone punish those who participate in the chain letter? it is nearly immposible to track anything threw email, no matter what a chain mail may say or threaten.

Answer 6

Chain letters which contain funds have been a Federal legal interior america considering the fact that 1935, courtesy of the deliver-A-Dime scandal. on line, you are able to blame a school pupil named Dave Rhodes for inventing information superhighway junk mail with an unlawful chain letter of this sort besides. interior the united kingdom, playing Act 2005 demands fifty one weeks imprisonment and/0r intense fines for each incident of a chain gifting scheme. sure, in simple terms engaging makes you a offender. New Zealand and Canada have even harsher rules, interior the honest finding out to purchase and advertising Act and the competition Act. Oh, and don't even think of roughly utilising Paypal, Stormpay, E-Gold, etc. for such schemes. they often bust human beings for it and freeze their funds for 0.5 a year or so.

Answer 7

Depends on what the chain letter is intended for. I don't think anyone is going to arrest you for sending a chain prayer for the troops, and hopefully it won't annoy too many people either, but it probably will.

Answer 8

DONT READ THIS

ok its too late, if you dont paste this 123243423 times in Y!A questions, myspace bulletins or youtube comments the Samara chick ( or whatever the f*ck her name is)from the Ring will come into your house and effin make you ugly then kill your @ss, and then you will go to hell

Answer 9

He is probably just trying to scare you away from chain mail....even though they are VERY annoying. They arn't illegal (I wish they were)

Answer 10

Yes they are if the post office found out, but they are very stupid to do and a waste of time!!