Phising Scams

[ntexascardfan]

I have a $1990 "tellers check" sitting on my book shelf that someone sent me to buy an armoire I was selling on Craig's List. As soon as I cash it, the "movers" will come pick up the armoire and take the extra money from the buyer to pay the movers.

I wonder how many people fall for that stuff.

[Bo Hart]

For years I've been talking about a get rich scheme where I put out an advertisement promising that I'll sell you the secret to making money without doing anything for $1.

Then when you send me your $1, I'll tell you to put out an ad telling people that you'll give them the secret to making money without doing anything for $1.

How could that possibly be illegal? Actually, I'm serious in asking that. Would that be legal?

I don't know if it technically constitutes as a pyramid scheme or not, and I also don't know if it's illegal. I do know, however, that you've been beaten to the punch.

You see (or used to see, at least) online ads all the time about "work-from-home data entry positions". They worked literally exactly how you described. You'd send them $15-20 for their "starter kit", they'd email you a PDF instructing you to... post ads online telling people how to make money. After you received bites, you were to email them the PDF.

Nowadays, something like that probably isn't possible, because so many people have been exposed to it. There's massive oversaturation. The guy who originally came up with this concept, however, probably made thousands and thousands of dollars. It's unethical, but damn it's brilliant.

[tlombard]

Thanks Kyle. That is what I get for being so lazy. I've had that idea since I was a kid. Now the dream is dead. And I guess it was never really laziness as much as the fact that I could never bring myself to be that shady whether it was perfectly legal or not.

Guess I'm back to winning the lottery as my retirement plan... even though I don't buy tickets.