if you've been on Facebook or Instagram
you may have noticed this holiday gift
exchange offer you only have to buy one
gift valued at $10 or more and send it
to one secret sister and you will
receive up to 36 in return it seems to
be along the same lines as a Secret
Santa except it's with social media it
was posted on Facebook and I just
thought oh well this looks like fun and
it's coming from a friend who I know
very well and it just looked like
something that would be interesting to
get into but when Mary mentioned Secret
Sister to a co-worker she quickly
learned otherwise oh that's a scam
that's something that you know is you
know not legal and you need to not be
involved in that and fortunately Mary
never sent anything to anyone involved
in the scheme but she was disappointed I
thought it was something personal I had
seen that her family and some of our
mutual friends had responded to it so I
really thought that this was something
just between friends and family postal
inspectors say the scam is similar to a
chain letter or even a pyramid scheme
some people may receive gifts but for
everyone to receive what they've been
promised new recruits must constantly
join the group it's mathematically
impossible to sustain postal inspectors
say be skeptical about anything you see
online they also play with your emotions
they tell you it's a for example a
Secret Sister gift exchange it's a great
thing to do with your girlfriend's
online and you have to keep it secret so
that you know you you can benefit off of
it and other people don't
don't let these schemes play off of your
fears and your emotions make sure that
you do your research first