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Here's Why You Shouldn't Do The Secret Sister Gift Exchange

The Better Business Bureau is warning you not to fall victim to the "Secret Sister Gift Exchange" scam.

GREENSBORO, N.C.-- It's an old scam wrapped up in a new package. The Secret Sister Gift Exchange is back on social media, but you still shouldn't get involved.

The Secret Sister Gift Exchange promises that you will get anywhere from 6-36 gifts in the mail in exchange for sending one gift valued at $10.

The Better Business Bureau calls this your classic pyramid scheme.

"It has all the earmarks of a scam. It's promising high returns for low investments," Kevin Hinterberger with the BBB serving Central Carolina explained.

There are three big reason you shouldn't partake.

First, it's against Facebook's terms of service. By agreeing to these terms you saying that you will "not engage in unlawful multilevel marketing." If you do, your account could be blocked.

Second, you are inviting people to steal your personal information.

"You could be sharing your name, your phone number, your address. All things identity thieves look for when they are trying to build a profile on you," Hinterberger said.

And to top it all off, you are breaking the law.

The U.S. Postal Service says these chain letter scams are "illegal if they request money or other items of value and promise a substantial return." They consider it a form of gambling which is illegal to do through mail.

The BBB says the best think you can do if you see the scam is to just ignore it.

If you want to participate in a gift exchange, the BBB recommends sticking to the normal Secret Santa in real life.

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