Does this really produce money?

Question

http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-list/2006-July/395194.html

PLEASE be completely honest.

Answer 1

Janette - you expect us to believe you make $9,000 a month from that website? It's looks like the kind of website that will suck every penny out of your paypal acct and possibly your bank acct also. - if you really made $300/day there - you better be paying estimated quarterly taxes of about $10,000 per qtr or the IRS will be penalizing you big time for underwithholding, because you will be getting a 1099 from that website (the IRS gets a copy too), so the IRS will know how much you made there - not that I believe you made anything there

Answer 2

OK, for those of you are still betting on the horse with the broken leg to win, let me help you now.

I saw this in the real physical mail about 23 years ago. Welcome newbies.

First:

1. PayPal NEVER addresses "members" by "Dear Member." They always address using your first and last name (aids in fraud protection).

http://www.spamlaws.com/paypal-scam.html

2. The 1-800 # posted is NOT associated with USPS. The posts’ number is identified as a known spam number.

http://keithlynch.net/toll.html

The correct phone number to USPS is:

1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777)

http://faq.usps.com/eCustomer/iq/usps/re...

This scam may have been on Opra that talked about internet scams, but not an endorsement. The poster could be sued by Opera et al for fraud.

"Here’s how it works: When you post 200 messages all over the internet, it is estimated that at least 15 people will respond and send you a $1.00."

Statistically this is incorrect. In advertising, a successful response to ads is 1% buy.

-- ad research work

Posters states such is "perfectly legal" and cites USPS Code. Did you read it? No. Shall we?

"USC§ 1302. Mailing lottery tickets or related matter

Whoever knowingly deposits in the mail, or sends or delivers by mail: Any letter, package, postal card, or circular concerning any lottery, gift enterprise, or similar scheme offering prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance;

Any lottery ticket or part thereof, or paper, certificate, or instrument purporting to be or to represent a ticket, chance, share, or interest in or dependent upon the event of a lottery, gift enterprise, or similar scheme offering prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance;

Any check, draft, bill, money, postal note, or money order, for the purchase of any ticket or part thereof, or of any share or chance in any such lottery, gift enterprise, or scheme;

Any newspaper, circular, pamphlet, or publication of any kind containing any advertisement of any lottery, gift enterprise, or scheme of any kind offering prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance, or containing any list of the prizes drawn or awarded by means of any such lottery, gift enterprise, or scheme, whether said list contains any part or all of such prizes;

Any article described in section 1953 of this title—

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both; and for any subsequent offense shall be imprisoned not more than five years."

I have no clue what Section 1241 poster is referring to, but there is no Section 1241 under Title 18 USC Postal Lottery Codes.

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/search...

I'd further argue that the scheme is an endless chain "letter" which is illegal in the USA, UK and NZ and prob most civilized nations.

"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."

http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fra...

UK Warning

http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/watch_o...

NZ warning

http://www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/scamw...

USPS Warning

http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fra...

Summary:

This is nothing more than a Ponzi scheme.

http://www.interleaves.org/~rteeter/pyra...

Any questions?

Answer 3

No, it doesn't work and is technically illegal.

The scam used to run by mail.  Now it is done by email.

..and unlike the people above, I won't point towards something else that also won't work.