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Show JTHMi I mum 8 i ft K f r r f t, f t 0 : t V : f : . p t . I I i r . f t f t f f . t t t I' f r ! n, New Utah! - Wednesday, January 12, 2000 - Page 10 Gifting clubs are latest pyramid scheme Hello World The latest get rich quick and easy pyramid scheme sweeping the nation appears to have started start-ed to show up here in Utah. In a scam that has spread throughout the mid-Atlantic states and the Pacific Northwest, and now is being reported in St. George, Orem and Park City, people pay to join a "gifting club," billed in promotional materials as a private club with members eager to help new friends often from within their own neighborhood or church group. "These clubs are a recent phenomenon," phe-nomenon," says Francine Giani, director of. the Utah Division of Consumer Protection. "In the past few weeks, we have received calls from consumers throughout the state asking about them. The clubs have all the markings of a pyramid scam. A fee to join and the prospect of making money by enticing others to join are classic pyramid scam pitches." The clubs are illegal pyramid schemes. New club members give cash "gifts" to the highest- ranking rank-ing club members, often with titles such as "captains." And they're promised that if they can get additional members to join the club, they, too, will become captains and receive money far more than they initially paid to join the club from newer club "friends." The problem is, according to Giani, like most pyramid schemes, illegal-gifting clubs must continually recruit ever-increasing ever-increasing numbers of members to survive. When the clubs don't attract enough new members, they collapse. Most members who paid to join the clubs never receive the financial "gifts" they expected, and lose everything they paid to join the club. Giani says the Division has received reports of people being asked to pay from $100 to $5,000, as a gift, to join a club. Consumer Protection offers some tips to prevent getting wrapped up in a gift club: Be suspicious of any promises promis-es of quick, easy money which can be a powerful lure especially espe-cially when it comes with the additional benefit of new friendships. friend-ships. If you're approached about joining a club but you aren't sure if it's an illegal-gifting club, the Consumer Protection reminds you to: Consider that a legitimate gift has no strings attached and is not an "investment." Avoid being misled into thinking a gifting club is legitimate legiti-mate because the ads say that members consider their payments pay-ments a gift and expect nothing in return. This is an attempt to make an illegal transaction look legal. Be wary of success stories or testimonials of tremendous payoffs. pay-offs. Very few members of illegal gifting clubs or pyramid schemes ever receive any money. Take your time. Don't buckle buck-le under to a high-pressure sales pitch that requires you to join immediately or risk losing out on the opportunity. Remember, solid opportunities and solid friendships friend-ships aren't formed through nerve-wracking tactics. December 20 n . Kaye Boy to Nels Thane and Susan rvay Beckstrand of Pleasant Grove. FlpPSon of Boy to David Wayne and Shelly Rae Fleeson LelGirl to Jared Ryan and Heidi Gray -of XehL Boy to William Wesley and Nicole Mcllratn American Fork. cnrrs of Girl to Bart Jan and Rebecca Sue Storrs ol Highland. DeGfrnboMa2t1thew Scott and Keri Lynn Burrows of American Fork. iuorenn Girl to Lyn Alan and Melame Chnstopherson of Pleasant Grove. ,.v nf Girl to Robert Forrest and Lee Ann Elzey ol American Fork. nf Boy to John David and Danaca Hadfield ot LeBoy to Travis Ray and Susan Kay Hall of SXBKelsey and Melmda Jensen of Pleasant Grove. M Boy to Ryan Bingham and Laura Marie Leavitt of Am. Fork. Girl to Shawn A. and Andrea Jeanette Rowbotham of Pleasant Grove. December 22 f Girl to Kevin Jay and Mahnda Fromm of Pleasant Grove. , Girl to James Keith and Amy Kathryn Limb of Pleasant Grove. Luiir0 Elena p.. I . Hit nl tn Trov Lvnn and Laura Mil i v j " Ol fieasaiii' ir. Bov to Dylan M. and Laura nf T,ehi. December 23 Rnv to Stuart Preston and Stalin . . . "cue P -enn Young ot American r or. f ntar December 25 if) t Boy to Alan Austin and Debra Cnlu e!r t r a i.tin Fnrk "..PlU" 01 .rtJllEI Ici.i . T T 1 . r T 4-r T-Tarric;rm ShanA XJUy w t. Smith of American Fork. December Girl to Joseph Douglas and l Allphin of Lindon. Girl to Norman B. and Tresa Lynn nf American Fork. Girl to Ronald David and Chel T ' J ijlliuuu. December 27 i in o and Etnfctcha? re5ent" !christir the lie lseaLefyiee Fj Decemoer ,leV Girl to Benjamin Franklin and LukJ ' Fork. d;i Ul .n-nii iv.. . -rr- HIT 1 T7l t ' I oh Boy to Kevin iviarK Icelander and I, WentZ OI rieasaiiL uiuvk. Boy to Bradley M. and Jan Thackerof December 28 ecemuw .o Bov to Gail F. and Stacev Lee Ra Plpasant Grove. Boy to Aiano Seula and Sheri Lym American ruin.. Boy to Lynn R Lindon. and Patty Neomia f.Recrea Vices d bteers Itn hel Some "daily" newspapers publish as few as 5 different editions every week. for d Tsically RAH is i Wides ac ielopmei h new deve i i i i i i I I r r- -ir- v ir i n hi 000 i . c. hi w 1U iety. We f org son's Hi joyment BO'1 amson, p. "At! ile doin; Each wi activi three a a adul ided to i ivities t ,for the jviding 'the par w As measured by paid circulation, that's probably why we have Utah's largest non-daily newspaper audience. i it J it ii H.you st that e," Ada rking w 5 are sc lelp is lAHis 1 r t : r. " 1 ' city Council Passes Ordinance by Narrow Marsm - r5 f. -1 t'.l J More LOCAL news than any other source! www.newutah.com American Fork Citizen . UorniB Lone Peak Edition Cit Council Passes Lehi Free Press Pleasant Grove Review u 0!diiuinG8 by Maim Maftf" il!av;lltali! American Fork Citizen Alpine & Highland Lone Peak Edition City Council Passes Lehi Free Press City Council Passes Otdlnanco by ttairow Margin 1 Pleasant n.m-r r . KsrjUJfesM fefeM KsivffliaM fefeU 59 W. Main, American Fork, UT 84003 (801) 756-7669 Lindon Edition Clt Council Passas Otdlnance fi Lindon Edition c ' ! |