‘Secret Sister’ gift exchange on social media is an illegal scam
Sometimes things are too good to be true — and legal.
The Better Business Bureau is warning people to be alert for a pyramid scheme making the rounds on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Posts on social media
The “Secret Sister” gift exchange claims that if you buy and send someone in a social media group a $10 gift, you will receive six to 36 gifts in return. Similar to a chain letter, you’re required to find six other people to participate.
These posts may seem harmless but can open you up to sharing personal information, such as your home address.
This scam has been circulating on social media since October 2015, and — despite several warnings from the BBB — it pops up on social media regularly. It’s also been reinvented on social media as a “wine exchange”.
Post on social media
Gift chains are “mathematically impossible” and illegal if they request money or other items of value and promise a substantial return to the participants, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
