Chain letters are letters sent to multiple people, often containing stories or requests to send money. They aim to keep the chain going by asking recipients to copy and send to others. Some are illegal pyramid schemes promising wealth. Email chain letters are common but can contain viruses and are prohibited by email providers. It is poor netiquette to forward them, but content can be shared without references to passing it on.
A chain letter is a type of letter sent to numerous people. It can contain a story about luck, friendship or it can entice the person to send money. The goal of the chain letter is to keep the chain going by asking recipients to copy the letter and send it to other people, usually a fixed number. Another goal of the chain letter could be to intentionally earn money from others in a fraudulent manner. Often there are menacing threats or curses to disrupt the continuity of the chain letter. For example: “If you don’t send this chain letter to five other people, you will have bad luck for a year.”
Sometimes the chain letter is used specifically for illegal purposes. Attempts to get people to send money to the first person listed at the top of the chain is an illegal pyramid scheme. The letter usually promises that the recipient will also get rich through this process. This is rare, and sending this type of chain letter is illegal in the United States. They are just scams and violate many laws by using them and involving the post office in the process.
The most common type of chain letter today is the email chain letter. These may seem innocuous, they might include a personality quiz, a short enlightening story, or some other “innocent” message. The insidious aspect of chain mail is that people are then enjoined at the bottom of the email to forward the email to other people, often with promises of good luck or threats to break the chain. Such chains might also contain attachments with worms or viruses, so it is better to ignore them and do not open the attachments.
Many email providers strictly prohibit chain letters and may ban users who send them. It is also considered extremely poor Internet etiquette or “netiquette” to forward chain letters to friends, acquaintances, family members, or business associates. This is often a mistake of new Internet users who don’t realize that chain letters are inappropriate material to forward.
If you really enjoy chain letter content, such as a personality quiz, joke, or story, you can simply copy that aspect of the chain letter into letters to friends you think will also appreciate. Make sure you don’t include a reference to the sender needing to pass the material on to other people. Keep in mind that not all material will be appreciated by others and that any material, whether it’s a chain letter or not, may just clutter up another person’s mailbox and be annoying. Such material should never be sent to business associates or anyone with whom you are only casually acquainted.
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