There's an interesting internet article on pyramid schemes here

http://www.interleaves.org/~rteeter/pyramid.html

TWP
"john" <dalibor@look.ca> wrote in message
news:IcqdnaCp_60ftJXfRVn-tA@look.ca...
> Earn Money Easily
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> I'm sure you've read these letters asking you to send $1 to six
> different addresses. Putting your home address or mailing address on
> the internet can be risky, but through PayPal all you have to provide
> is your email address. It's safe and easy. Just go to
> http://www.paypal.com/ and set up your FREE account! No credit card is
> needed. I am not a gullible person and have never trusted things like
> this, but I gave it a try. Hey it's JUST $6. I figured at least 6
> people would respond out of the millions of people that use the
> internet. You should give it a try too! You have nothing to lose, and
> thousands to gain! Read on for the letter that I found (of course, I
> added my PayPal e-mail on #6)...
>
> HOW TO TURN $6 INTO $6,000+!!! THIS REALLY CAN MAKE YOU EASY MONEY!!!
> IT WORKS!!! BUT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW IT TO THE LETTER FOR IT TO WORK!!!!
> A little while back, I was browsing through newsgroups, just like you
> are now and came across an article similar to this that said you could
> make thousands of dollars within weeks with only an initial investment
> of $6.00! So I thought, "Yeah, right, this must be some kind of scam"
> but like most of us, I was curious, so I kept reading. Anyway, it said
> that you send $1.00 through PayPal to each of the emails stated in the
> article. You then place your own email address in the bottom of the
> list at #6, and post the article in at least 200 news groups. (There
> are thousands) No catch. That was it. So after thinking it over, and
> talking to few people first, I thought about trying it. I figured what
> have I got to lose except $6.00, right? Like most of us I was a little
> skeptical and a little worried about the legal aspects of it. It
> follows the same regulations as the "mailed chain letters, which
> according to the U.S. Post Office (1-800-725-2161) is indeed legal!
> Then I invested the measly $6.00. Well GUESS WHAT!!? Within 7 days, I
> started getting money in my PayPal account! I was shocked! I figured
> it would end soon, but the money just kept coming in. In my first
> week, I made about $20.00. By the end second week I had made a total
> over $1,200.00!!! In the third week I had over $10,000.00 and it's
> still growing. This is now my fourth week and I have made a total of
> just over $36,000.00 and it's still coming in rapidly. It's Certainly
> worth $6.00. I have spent more than that on the lottery!! Let me tell
> you how this works and most importantly, why it works? Also, make sure
> you print a copy of this article now, so that you can get the
> information off of it as you need it.
>
> Integrity and honesty make this plan work. If you are trying to change
> the system (e.g. if you put your address to position #1 instead of #6)
> be sure, you won't have a dime of the success you can have. The system
> only works if all participants are honest.
> Just a few numbers for your imagination:
> You start at Position #6. If the average postings of all participants
> are 200 and in each of the six levels only 2% intelligent people do
> their $1.00 investment your PAYPAL account will be spread as follows:
> Level 1: 4 (2% of 200 postings)
> Level 2: 16
> Level 3: 64
> Level 4: 256
> Level 5: 1,024
> Level 6: 4,096
> Totalling $5460 and this is the time when you get the donations with
> only a small commission for PayPal. Just imagine what you can do with
> your easily earned money. And now make your own opinion:
> Does it sound unreal?
>
> $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
>
> REQUIREMENTS: You must have a confirmed PayPal account. Refer below on
> how to start a paypal account
>
> $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
>
> [STEP 1]
> Send, through PayPal, $1.00 to each email on the below list. PayPal
> will ask you to select type Select "service" Make the subject of the
> payment "Email List" and in the comments, write "PLEASE PUT ME ON YOUR
> EMAIL LIST." What you are doing is creating a service by this - and
> best of all you are not giving your address to anyone you do not know.
> THIS IS ABSOLUTELY LEGAL!! YOU ARE CREATING A SERVICE.
> Here are the latest PayPal e-mails on the e-mail lists:
>
> #1) katemly@yahoo.com
>
> #2) gsprk@myway.com
>
> #3) quest_johnw@yahoo.com
>
> #4) arpjag@hotmail.com
>
> #5) gpranesh@gmail.com
>
> #6) john123@earthling.net
>
> http://www.paypal.com/
> Subject of Payment: ***Email List***
> Comments: ***PLEASE PUT ME ON YOUR EMAIL LIST***
>
> [STEP 2]
> Now take the #1) email off the list that you see above, move the other
> addresses up one (6 becomes 5 &amp; 5 becomes 4, etc) the put YOUR
> email address (the one used in your PayPal account) as #6) on the
> list.
> **MAKE SURE THE EMAIL YOU SUPPLY IS EXACTLY AS IT APPEARS IN YOUR
> PAYPAL ACCOUNT**
>
> [STEP 3]
> Change anything you need to, but try to keep this article as close to
> original as possible. Now, post your amended article to at least 200
> newsgroups, message boards, etc. (I think there are close to 32,000
> groups) All you need is 200, but remember, the more you post, the more
> money you make - as well as everyone else on the list! In this
> situation your job is to let as many people see this letter as
> possible. So they will make you and me reach!!!! You can even start
> posting the moment your email is confirmed. Payments will still appear
> in your PayPal account even while your bank account is being
> confirmed.
>
> $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
> HOW TO CREATE A PAYPAL ACCOUNT:
> Go to http://www.paypal.com/ and follow the instructions to set up a
> free account. In order to place the initial $6 into your account, you
> will have to confirm your bank account with PayPal (which may take a
> few days). PayPal is 100% secure and is used my millions of people
> world wide. Confirming a http://www.paypal.com/ account simply means
> (1) PayPal will first ask you to confirm the email you used to sign up
> your PayPal account by sending you an email with a link for you to
> click to that email. As soon as you click that link your email is
> confirmed. (2) PayPal will then make two small deposits into your bank
> account if you set up your PayPal account with a checking or savings
> bank account. Or PayPal will make two small deposits to your credit
> card if you set up your PayPal account with your credit card. Then
> after a few days (it takes up to a few days for these deposits to
> appear in your bank account or on your credit card statement) then
> after a few days you go back to the http://www.paypal.com/ website and
> sign in. Then you click where it says this account is not yet
> confirmed. A screen will pop up that gives you 2 boxes to fill in. You
> then enter the numbers of the 2 small deposit amounts (two separate 2
> digit numbers) that were deposited to your bank account or credit
> card. Now you have a working and confirmed PayPal account and can
> receive payments.
>
> $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
> DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO POST TO NEWSGROUPS/MESSAGE BOARDS.
>
> You do not need to re-type this entire letter to do your own posting.
> Simply copy this letter and save as a .txt file, then you can add your
> email to the list. If you want to do your postings in different
> sittings, you'll always have this file to go back to.
>
> Use Netscape or Internet Explorer and try searching for various
> newsgroups, on-line forums, message boards, bulletin boards, chat
> sites, discussions, discussion groups, online communities, etc.
> EXAMPLE: go to any search engine like yahoo.com, google.com,
> altavista.com, excite.com, then search with subjects like "millionaire
> message board" or "money making message board" or "opportunity message
> board" or "money making discussions" or "business bulletin board" or
> "money making forum" etc.
> You will find thousands and thousands of message boards. Click them
> one by one then you will find the option to post a new message.
>
> Visit these message boards and post this article as a new message.
> Fill in the Subject, this will be the header that everyone sees as
> they scroll thru the list of postings in a particular group, click the
> post message button. You're done with your first one! Congratulations!
> THAT'S IT!! All you have to do is jump to different newsgroups and
> post away. After you get the hang of it, it will take about 30 seconds
> for each newsgroup!
> **REMEMBER, THE MORE NEWSGROUPS AND/OR MESSAGE BOARDS YOU POST IN, THE
> MORE MONEY YOU WILL MAKE!! BUT YOU HAVE TO POST A MINIMUM OF 200**
> That's it! You will begin receiving money within days!
> **JUST MAKE SURE THE EMAIL YOU SUPPLY IS EXACTLY AS IT APPEARS ON
> PAYPAL.**
>
> Success is a journey - Not a destination!
> Start Your Journey TODAY!!!!
>
>
>