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          Latest News

          BBB Scam Alert: Social media gift exchange is an illegal pyramid scheme

          By Better Business Bureau. November 7, 2023.
          secret santa gift exchange

          (Getty Images)

          A "Secret Santa" around the office or with friends and family can be fun. A gift exchange among online friends you haven’t met is a little different and carries a heftier consequence. While these gift exchanges look like innocent fun, they are pyramid schemes and illegal.

          The “Secret Sister” gift exchange campaign quickly became popular several years ago through Facebook posts promising participants would receive up to 36 gifts in exchange for sending one gift. Each holiday season, the scheme pops back up. A newer version of this scam revolves around exchanging bottles of wine; another suggests purchasing $10 gifts online. You might see references to receiving "happy mail" or doing the exchange "for the good of the sisterhood." During the 2023 holiday season, be aware of variations of this theme that may crop up on social media.

          How the scam works

          The scheme starts with a convincing invitation, either by email or social media, to sign up for a great, fun program. All you must do is provide your name and address and the personal information of a few additional friends and tack this information onto a list that’s already started of people you’ve never met on the internet. Next, it’s your turn to send an email or social media invitation to send a modest gift or bottle of wine to a stranger along with their friends, family, and contacts.

          A newer twist on the idea asks you to give your e-transfer email and ask users to pick a name off a list and send money to strangers to "pay it forward." 

          There was another new twist called "Secret Santa Dog," where you are asked to buy a $10 gift for a "secret dog." 

          In all of these versions, you give away your personal information, and you’re left with buying and shipping gifts or money to unknown individuals in hopes that the favor is reciprocated by receiving the promised number of gifts in return. Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen. Like any other pyramid scheme, it relies on recruiting individuals to keep the scam afloat. Once people stop participating in the gift exchange, the gift supply also stops, leaving hundreds of disappointed people without their promised gifts or cash.

          It should be noted that pyramid schemes are illegal in the US and Canada. The U.S. Postal Inspection Services explains that these gift exchanges are considered a form of gambling and that participants could be penalized for jail time, fines, or a lawsuit for mail fraud.

          There is another layer of danger to participating in these schemes. When signing up, the alleged campaign organizer asks for personal information such as a mailing address or an email. With just a few pieces of information, cyber thieves could expose you to future scams or commit identity theft.

          The next time someone promises a bounty of gifts or cash by mail, email, or social media, BBB recommends the following: 

          • Ignore it! Keep in mind that pyramid schemes are international. Chain letters involving money or valuable items and promising big returns are illegal. Stop and ask, is it worth breaking the law? Report it instead to Canadian agencies or the U.S. Postal Inspection Services.  
          • Report social media posts. If you receive an invitation to join a pyramid scheme on social media, report it to Facebook by clicking in the upper right-hand corner and selecting “report post” or “report photo.”
          • Never give your personal information to strangers. This will open you up to identity theft and other scams.
          • Be wary of false claims. Some pyramid schemes try to win your confidence by claiming they’re legal and endorsed by the government. These imposter schemes are false, as the government will never endorse illegal activity. No matter what they claim, pyramid schemes will not make you rich. You will receive little to no money back on your “investment” or gift exchange.

          For more information

          Information on scams is available by visiting the BBB scam news feed.

          Report scams to BBB Scam Tracker

          Visit the BBB Holiday Tips page for more tips on shopping safely this season.