While I've received a dozen or so e-mails from pastors wanting more information on how to introduce the multi-level scheme into there churches (seriously

While I've received a dozen or so e-mails from pastors wanting more information on how to introduce the multi-level scheme into their churches (seriously!) the best reply is the following:

From: getrichquick@consumer.gov

Subject: MESSAGE FROM INT'L LAW ENFORCEMENT & CONSUMER GROUPS

To: tuesday@indwes.edu

Your site, located at http://www.indwes.edu/tuesday/multi.htm has been brought to the attention of international law enforcement and consumer groups. (If you are a host and not the actual operator of this site, please forward this message to the appropriate person.) This site promises that consumers will make significant amounts of money in a short period of time or otherwise appears to make exaggerated claims about income potential. A copy of your Internet promotion has been preserved for future reference.

>From February 28, 2000 to March 10, 2000, law enforcement agencies and consumer protection organizations in 28 countries participated in a global surf project sponsored by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Staff at each organization surfed the Internet for questionable business opportunities and investment schemes. As part of this international effort, we are sending you this message based on a review of your web site.

The use of deceptive earnings claims is prohibited by the laws of the countries listed below. If you are doing business with consumers in any of these countries, you may be subject to their laws relating to deceptive earnings claims. Although we have not yet determined that your website violates any consumer protection laws, we are sending this e-mail to remind you that earnings claims must be truthful and non-deceptive. For more information from law enforcement and consumer organizations about doing business online, go to http://www.consumer.gov/bizonline .

For more guidance on fair business practices on the Internet, please see the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines on Consumer Protection in the Context of Electronic Commerce at http://www.oecd.org/dsti/sti/it/consumer/prod/guidelines.htm. These Guidelines are not binding on any government; nevertheless, they provide guidance for the private sector on "best practices" for online commerce.

This e-mail is being sent to you by the following international group:

Australia

Office of Consumer and Business Affairs (South Australia)

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (http://www.accc.gov.au)

Austria

Verein fur Konsumenteninformation (http://www.konsument.at)

Belgium

Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs, Federal Administration for

Economic Inspection (http://www.mineco.fgov.be)

Canada

Fair Business Practices Branch, Competition Bureau, Industry Canada (http://competition.ic.gc.ca)

Ministry of Attorney General, Criminal Justice Branch, Consumer Services

Chile

Consumers International - Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (http://www.consumersint-americalatinaycaribe.cl)

Czech Republic

Czech Securities Commission (http://www.sec.cz)

Denmark

Danish Consumer Ombudsman (http://www.fs.dk)

Finland

Finnish Consumer Agency

Germany

Verbraucherschutzverein (http://www.verbraucherschutzverein.de)

Mexico

Ministry or Trade and Industrial Development - Under Ministry of Domestic Trade SECOFI-SSCI (http://www.secofi-ssci.gob.mx)

New Zealand

Ministry of Consumer Affairs (http://www.consumer-ministry.govt.nz)

Commerce Commission (http://www.comcom.govt.nz)

Northern Mariana Islands

Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Norway

FORBRUKEROMBUDET (The Consumer Ombudsman) (http://www.forbrukerombudet.no)

Peru

National Institute for the Defense of Competition and the Promotion of Intellectual Property (http://www.indecopi.gob.pe)

Portugal

General Inspection for Economic Activities

South Korea

Korea Association of Information and Telecommunication (http://www.kait.or.kr)

Korea Consumer Protection Board (http://www.cpb.or.kr)

Fair Trade Commission for Korea (http://www.ftc.go.kr)

Spain

MAG (Estudios de Consumo) S.L. (http://www.infoconsumo.es)

Confederacion de Consumidores y Usuarios

Sweden

Swedish Consumer Agency/Consumer Ombudsman (http://www.konsumentverket.se)

Switzerland

Seco State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, Switzerland (http://www.seco-admin.ch)

Inspection Cantonale du Commerce et Controle des Prix (http://www.geneve.ch/iccp)

United Kingdom

Milton Keynes Council Trading Standards Division (http://www.milton-Keynes.gov.uk)

Highland Council Protective Services Department (http://www.highland.gov.uk)

Local Authorities Coordinating Body on Food and Trading Standards (http://www.lacots.com)

Essex County Council Trading Standards Department

London Bourough of Sutton Environmental Services (http://www.sutton.gov.uk)

Office of Fair Trading (http://www.oft.gov.uk)

United States

U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (http://www.cftc.gov)

U.S. Customs Service (http://www.customs.treas.gov)

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Consumer Litigation (http://www.usdoj.gov)

U.S. Postal Inspection Service (http://www.usps.gov/postalinspectors)

American Association of Retired Persons

Council of Better Business Bureaus

State of Alaska, Office of the Attorney General, Civil Division, Fair Business Practices Section

Arkansas Attorney General's Office (http://www.ag.state.ar.us)

State of Arizona, Office of the Attorney General (http://www.ag.state.az.us)

State of Connecticut, Office of Attorney General (http://www.cslnet.ctstateu.edu/attygenl)

Office of the Attorney General, State of California (http://www.caag.state.ca.us)

Fraud and Consumer Protection Division of the Delaware Department of Justice (http://www.state.de.us/attgen/index.htm)

Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Hawaii (http://www.state.hi.us/dcca)

Idaho Attorney General's Office

Office of the Indiana Attorney General (http://www.ai.org/hoosieradvocate)

Illinois Attorney General's Office (http://www.ag.state.il.us)

Iowa Department of Justice: Office of the Attorney General (http://www.state.ia.us/government/ag/consumer.html)

Kansas Attorney General's Office, Consumer Protection Division (http://www.ink.org/public/ksag)

Office of the Attorney General, Commonwealth of Kentucky Consumer Protection Division (http://www.law.state.ky.us/)

Louisiana Department of Justice (http://www.ag.state.la.us)

Maine Attorney General's Office (http://www.state.me.us/ag/homepage.html)

Maryland Office of the Attorney General, Securities Division (http://www.oag.state.md.us)

Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General (http://www.state.ma.us/ag)

Suffolk County District Attorney Ralph Martin's Office

State of Michigan, Department of Attorney General (http://www.ag.state.mi.us)

Montana Department of Commerce - Consumer Affairs (http://www.commerce.state.mt.us/ConAffrs)

Nebraska Department of Banking and Finance (http://www.ndbf.org)

State of Nevada Office of the Attorney General Bureau of Consumer Protection (http://www.state.nv.us/ag)

Consumer Protection Bureau, New Hampshire Attorney General's Office

New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, E-Commerce Investigative Unit (http://www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/home/htm)

New York State Office of Attorney General (http://www.oag.state.ny.us)

North Dakota Attorney General's Consumer Protection and Antitrust Division (http://www.ag.state.nd.us/ndag)

Ohio Attorney General's Office, Consumer Protection Section (http://www.ag.state.oh.us/)

Oklahoma Attorney General's Office (http://www.oag.state.ok.us)

Oklahoma Securities Commission, Department of Securities, Enforcement Division (http://www.securities.state.ok.us/)

Oregon Department of Justice

Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (http://www.attorneygeneral.gov)

South Carolina Secretary of States Office (http://www.scsos.com)

South Dakota Division of Securities (http://www.state.sd.us/dcr/securities)

Texas Attorney General Office (http://www.oag.state.tx.us)

Vermont Consumer Assistance Program (http://www.state.vt.us/atg)

Virginia Office of the Attorney General (http://www.oag.state.va.us)

Washington Attorney General's Office

West Virginia Attorney General, Consumer Protection/Antitrust Division (http://www.state.wv.us/wvag/cons)

Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (http://www.datcp.state.wi.us)

Uruguay

Instituto de Comunicacion y Desarrollo

Centro de Estudios, Analisis y Documentacion del Uruguay