Nov. 25, 2020

The prospect of a holiday haul showing up at your door is tantalizing — especially if all your friends are doing it. But beware: The “Secret Sister” gift exchange making the rounds on social media is a scam.

For the fifth consecutive year, the pyramid scheme is showing up on Facebook. It’s often a post shared by a trusted friend or family member who might mean well but is unwittingly sharing an invitation to participate in a scam, according to the Better Business Bureau.

The posts typically look like this:

“The Secret Sister gift exchange is back! I’m looking for six women who would be interested in a pre-holiday gift exchange. You only have to buy one $10 gift and send it to your secret sister. You will then receive between six and 36 gifts in return! Let me know if you’re interested and I will send you the information for your secret sister. We all could use some happy mail!”

Sounds great, right? Especially during the holiday season at a time when many feel stuck at home. Except it doesn’t work, the BBB said.

“Like all pyramid schemes, this one is based on continuous recruitment of more and more participants. Inevitably, it runs out of steam. Promised gifts do not appear,” it said.

“The personal information you have sent, however, may be a gift to a scammer looking to steal identities. The U.S. Postal Inspector considers pyramid schemes such as this and chain letter schemes to be a form of gambling and illegal.”

It’s the same with promotions promising bottles of wine or purchasing gifts online.

Here are simple ways the BBB suggests to avoid getting scammed:

• Ignore that invitation. If it’s from someone you trust, let them know that they have inadvertently shared an illegal scheme. You may be helping others stay scam-free by doing so.
• Report it to Facebook. Select “Report post” or “Report photo” by clicking in the upper right-hand corner.
• Never share personal information to strangers online or any other way. What goes on the web stays on the web. It can be shared an infinite number of times.
• False claims are easily made. Promises of multiple gifts for the submission of one gift are fake. Odds are you will gain nothing from your participation in such pyramid schemes. If it seems too good to be true, it is.
• Stick to the traditional way of sending gifts to friends and family. During the pandemic, porch drop-offs can be a fun way to secretly deliver a gift.
• Report this scam and any others to BBB’s Scam Tracker. It helps alert others and prevent further theft.

For answers to any questions about Secret Sister gift exchanges or other issues, contact the BBB at 800-856-2417, or visit bbb.org.