Dear Friends, Well, here is a message which was sent unsolicited to me today. I've excerpted only the message text, but if anyone wishes to see full headers, they are available from me. For what it may be worth, the headers suggest it was from an actual hotmail account.
> Hi, > A brand new $3 program has hit the net! This program will > be big! It costs only $3 to join and you get paid $1 on 3 > levels meaning potentially huge amounts of income! > > * All money is paid directly into your egold account! > * The system is cheat proof so you will always get paid! > * You promotional banners and adverts to help you promote! > * It costs only $3! Cheapest program I've seen! > http://www.threegold.com/cgi-bin/three/three.cgi?daelila I've also snipped the signature line. You'll notice that this message describes a "program" indicates a cost "to join" and suggests "you get paid." I'm not really clear how getting paid $1 on "3 levels" means "potentially huge amounts of income." However, the blipvert says "income." It also mentions egold which probably refers to e-gold. So, it is perhaps a message promoting a program that promises income. It does not use the terms "invest" or "investment." The argument that the "system is cheat proof so you will always get paid" does not sound very credible. For that to be true for everyone at all times, there would have to be an infinite number of participants in the "program" who each get three levels of action. Since there are a finite number of people, a finite and smaller number of Internet users, and a finite and even smaller number of pyramid scheme players, there is obviously a mathematical limit to how many people can play and "always get paid." This "program" has many of the earmarks of a classic pyramid "scheme." Scheme, by the way, used by people of British background, refers to any sort of program. Even the national health care in England is called a "scheme." (Well, it is, isn't it? <grin> ;-) For my own part, I have no serious quarrel with these people. The person who posted this message to me may have felt I would be interested based on my participation on some e-gold related lists such as this one. I am interested, though in observing not playing. The message describes a pyramid style scheme to "get rich" by having other people sign-up to pay into the program, from which one may get some benefit. While I think the claim that there is a certainty of always getting paid is false, I don't think the message or the program requires any sort of governmental intervention: people who participate shouldn't expect much in return, but they also aren't being harmed much by adding $3 to the jackpot and signing up a few friends. Anyone who goes broke playing such games should think seriously about what they are trying to accomplish. But, y'all have fun. Those of you who enjoy narc work can fink to the nearest feral gummint agent. Those who enjoy the investigative journalism possibilities of playing these games to report further, have at it! And those who, like me, enjoy standing on the sidelines and kibbitzing about the mathematical silliness of the "always get paid" claim, get another set of "greater fool" theorists to ridicule. It seems like everyone is a winner! Regards, Jim http://www.two-cents-worth.com/?101468&EG --- You are currently subscribed to e-gold-list as: archive@jab.org To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Use e-gold's Secure Randomized Keyboard (SRK) when accessing your e-gold account(s) via the web and shopping cart interfaces to help thwart keystroke loggers and common viruses.
