What is old, is new again. According to numerous reports around the country, the Secret Sister scam is back. I first reported to you about this scam in 2015. It seems harmless enough when you see it come up in your email or on social media, such as Facebook and Twitter where it has been increasingly been found lately.  It is often titled the “Secret Sister Gift Exchange” and it generally provides you with a list of six people.  You are told to send a gift worth at least ten dollars to the first person on the list, remove that person’s name from the list, move the second person on the list to the first position, add your name to the end of the list and then send the list to six of your friends.  In theory, you will receive thirty-six gifts for your small contribution of ten dollars.
So where is the harm?
First of all, it is a blatantly illegal chain letter and violates Title 18 of the United States Code, Section 1302.  In addition, like all chain letters, ultimately, it is destined to fail because it is a pyramid scheme where ultimately we run out of people on the planet.  In this particular version of the illegal chain letter, you are required to provide personal information that can lead you to become more vulnerable to scams and identity theft schemes.
TIPS
Avoid all chain letters regardless of the guise under which you receive them.  They are illegal.  In addition, although in some instances this particular chain letter is turning up on Facebook pages, it is a violation of your Facebook terms of agreement, so you potentially face the loss of your Facebook account if you participate in the scheme.
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