Watch Out: The "Secret Wine Bottle Exchange" Facebook Scam Is Back
Updated, 12/5/17: The holiday season is officially here and scammers are back in full force to try to take advantage of the gift giving season. The Better Business Bureau warned people last year about a seemingly fun Secret Santa gift exchange that's actually a pyramid scam and illegal, but it looks like the message didn't stick. Users are once again posting about the "Secret Wine Bottle Exchange," which claims if you buy a $15 bottle of wine and send it to a "secret wine lover" you'll get anywhere from six-36 bottles of wine in exchange.
Word to the wise: If you notice a post like this floating around your Facebook feed, ignore it completely and/or report it. Chances are you won't get any wine back, but scammers will get your money and your home address.
Original, 12/8/2016: Chances are you've seen friends post on Facebook about the "Secret Sister Gift Exchange," and, in case you haven't already heard, it's a scam. There's a new post going viral on Facebook, but instead of gifts, people are supposedly sending bottles of wine. If you're wondering how people are falling for yet another one of these scams, the answer is free wine.
According to the post, all you have to do is buy one bottle of wine that's $15 or more, and send it to one "secret wine lover." Then, you'll get from six to 36 bottles of wine in return. A Christmas miracle? Not so much. The first red flag is that the wording is almost exactly the same as the Secret Sister Gift Exchange.
Here's what the new holiday wine bottle exchange looks like:
And here's the Secret Sister Gift Exchange post:
Hate to be a Grinch, but both of these posts are illegal and kind of dangerous. It's a pyramid scheme in disguise, according to the Better Business Bureau. "According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's gambling and pyramid scheme laws, gift chains like this are illegal and participants could be subject to penalties for mail fraud," the BBB said in a statement.
There are also strict laws about sending alcohol in the mail. The USPS doesn't allow it, and UPS and Fedex require the packages to be clearly labeled that they contain alcohol. If you're sending bottles of wine to strangers you connected with on Facebook, there's also no way to tell that they're legal drinking age.
Above all, it's a really bad idea to give your mailing address to strangers - even if they offer you free bottles of wine.
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