As the holiday season approaches, a series of chain letters on Facebook encouraging people to participate in a gift exchange with total strangers has caught the attention of federal officials – who say the act is illegal.
The U.S. Postal Service is issuing a warning for those attempting to take part in the “secret sister” chain letter that asks people to buy one gift valued at $10 or more and send it to someone else who joins in the program.
The message says you will receive up to 36 gifts in return – depending on how many people participate. According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, that is a violation of a postal lottery section statue as it’s a form of gambling.
Chain letters are illegal if they request items of value or cash and promise a substantial return. Asking for small value items, such as recipes or pictures, are legal according to the agency.
Officials are asking anyone who sees these chain letters to report them to Facebook.
