Editing Chain letter (section)

==Types==
There are two main types of chain letter:

# Hoaxes: Hoaxes attempt to trick or defraud users. A hoax could be malicious, instructing users to delete a file necessary to the operating system by claiming it is a virus. It could also be a scam that convinces users to spread the letter to other people for a specific reason, or send money or personal information. [[Phishing]] attacks could fall into this category. Get-rich-quick pyramid schemes promising a substantial return for sending money to people on a list are a common form of hoax chain letter.
# Luck- or superstition-based letters: These letters promise good luck for forwarding the message or threaten bad luck (or even death) if the chain is broken or the letter is not forwarded. These often prey on superstition. This category includes [[urban legend]]s designed to be redistributed, usually warning users of a threat or claiming to be notifying them of important or urgent information. Another common form are emails that promise users monetary rewards for forwarding the message or suggest that they are signing something that will be submitted to a particular group. These usually have no negative effect aside from wasted time and potential anxiety for the recipient.

In the United States, chain letters that request money or other items of value and promise a substantial return to the participants (such as the infamous [[Make Money Fast]] scheme) are illegal.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120508132454/https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/sweepstakesfraud/ChainLetters.aspx Chain Letters]. [[United States Postal Inspection Service]]. Archived from [https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/sweepstakesfraud/ChainLetters.aspx the original] on 8 May 2012. The [[U.S. Postal Inspection Service]] cites {{USC|18|1302}} when it asserts that chain letters are "illegal if they request money or other items of value and promise a substantial return to the participants, pursuant to {{USC|18|1302|pipe=Title 18, United States Code, Section 1302}}, the Postal Lottery Statute".</ref> Some colleges and military bases have passed regulations stating that in the private mail of college students and military personnel, respectively, chain letters are not authorized and will be thrown out. However, it is often difficult to distinguish chain letters from genuine correspondence.