Chain Letter

Chain Letter

WebDynamic™ Web Glossary

A form of spam which asks you to distribute the letter to many other people. They are against the policies of most Internet service providers, and are almost always a hoax. Many of them promise quick ways to make money, usually on the basis of pyramid schemes which are illegal. Some make pie-in-the-sky promises, for example, that Bill Gates will give everyone $1000 for just helping test his new mail distribution scheme. Many of them prey on your sympathy and tell stories of a sick child who has asked that word be spread about the illness by chain letters. Many report a virus warning, and ask you tell everyone about it. The virus warnings are invariably hoaxes.