Scams ?

[fantasymaker]

The how to raise a million bucks thread got me to thinking of this.
Im one of those guys who has lots of Ideas
I dont follow thru with them but I have em and talk about them with my friends.
One in particular tends to call most of them scams.
So Id like your opionion on the following which I consider to be three of my best,are they scams?


The FENCEPOST Society.
The idea is we will solicit donations of small pices of property in rural and industrial areas, even as small as a single fencepost and create a wildlife haven.Of course we will have maintence costs so we will solicit endowments for wages and purchase of property.

Nun Of The Above.
A political organization.So far all I have on it is that you have to have your name leagaly changed to"None of the above" so that we will win all the elections.

Lotto Ship
So called because I have commited the winnings should I ever win the lotto to buying as big a ship as I can and still have enough left to run said ship forever. The Idea is we crusie around the world continuosly picking up do gooders and /or their cargo and dropping them /it off were it needs to go.
Say your a missionary on your way to affrica you go to your nearest port and get on. We drop you off when we get there. In stead of moving forever with one suitcase you bring anything you want fill the U-haul! Same for these feed the children type things bring a few hundered truckloads of stuff down and we will take it where it needs to be.


Of course I would make wages off administering any of these but I honestly think thats fair .Most charities pay their admimistarters .Like churches pay preachers .etc.
Besides how would you be able to run something fulltime without haveing a personel income of some sort?

[suitcase_sally]

yep....ship of fools alrighty.

[hoofinitnorth]

Creative ideas! Although I don't appreciate Nun Of The Above as much as the others...

They don't sound like scams to me - just be sure you are not misleading and your donors are well-informed.

[ellebeaux]

The Fencepost society sounds a lot like the Nature Conservancy to me!

[CraftyDiva]

Many, many years ago I had a plan to make some money, checked with a lawyer to see if it was legal, checked with post office to see if I would be breaking any laws. Lawyer said it was within the law, post office said it wasn't breaking any of thier laws, but I never went thru with it.

The plan.......... place ads in newspapers across the country (major cities), telling people that they can increase thier income with little work and some investment (ads and postage). This was pre internet, to give you an idea of the many, many years. Just send me $2 (low cost gets more interested then say asking for $10) and I'll send you all the info you need to make extra income. Upon getting those $2's you send them a piece of paper stating........Do the same thing I just did.

Your not breaking any laws because your selling information, they are getting something in return for their money. Legal....... yes, moral............ no.



.

[hoofinitnorth]

That's a classic pyramid scheme, which is illegal.

[CraftyDiva]

Originally Posted by hoofinitnorth

That's a classic pyramid scheme, which is illegal.

How so? I'm only making money from the person who answers the ad, not any people they get doing the same. I'm not at the top of a pyramid making money from those at the bottom.




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[hoofinitnorth]

If you can't make money without taking in more people underneath you, and they are in the same boat, it builds the pyramid. You may have a point though, the legal def. of pyramid scheme might involve top getting richer and richer??? I think it does at least mention the saturation issues...

[fantasymaker]

Well the idea was to do the things stated they all just seemed like things that needed to be done.I think my friends reason for calling them scams is that I would make a living off them.
Is there something wrong with makeing a living doing something you would enjoy doing that also does good?

[TechGuy]

Originally Posted by CraftyDiva

The plan.......... place ads in newspapers across the country (major cities), telling people that they can increase thier income with little work and some investment (ads and postage). This was pre internet, to give you an idea of the many, many years. Just send me $2 (low cost gets more interested then say asking for $10) and I'll send you all the info you need to make extra income. Upon getting those $2's you send them a piece of paper stating........Do the same thing I just did.

Sorry, but Homer from the Simpsons already tried that.

In real life you would probably lose money, since your likely to get fewer respondents than the cost of placing the ads.

The right way to do it is to do one of those "No money down Infomercials". Apparently lots of unemployeed people watch infomericals at night that are always looking for a get rich quick schemes.

[hoofinitnorth]

fantasymaker - I don't think it's wrong to get paid for doing something good for the community. It's just tough to get to the point where you make enough to pay yourself!

[fantasymaker]

I agree thus the name of the lotto ship
I spend a buck on the lotto anytime it hits 60 million orso and Iam arounda lotto vender.I figger God will give me the win when he wants the ship.