AG Vacco’s Consumer Tips to Protect Against Pyramid Schemes

You should ask yourself two questions before investing in any money making scheme you see on the Internet or receive by e-mail, to determine if it could be a pyramid scheme:

1) Does the product or service you are selling have an actual value, independent of the program? In other words, would you be willing to pay the price charged for the product or service, in order to purchase the product or service on its own?

2) Does the program focus on the actual sale of the product or service, or on the recruitment of new people into the chain?

If you are still in doubt, you can take the following steps:

* Contact Attorney General Vacco’s Internet and Computer Unit at (212) 416-8433 or his Investor Protection Bureau at (212) 416-8200. You can also learn more about pyramids by visiting the Attorney General’s Website:

http://www.oag.state.ny.us/investor

* Check-out all claims made in the e-mail solicitations, or on the Website. Do not rely on claims that the program is legal or on testimonials which you cannot personally verify.

* If you believe a pyramid solicitation has been sent to you, you may forward a copy of it to the Attorney General’s office via his on-line complaint form located on the Website.

* You may also forward a copy of the e-mail solicitation to the e-mail address set-up by your Internet Service Provider (“ISP”) for receiving complaints about unsolicited bulk E-mail. Complaints allow the ISP to track bulk E-mail violations. And as this pyramid sweep proves, Attorney General Vacco’s office is working with ISPs to curtail the spread of Internet-based pyramids.