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Food

This Holiday Season, Beware of Wine Pyramid Schemes on Social Media

Do you want to get six to 36 bottles of wine in return for one $15 bottle? No. You don't.
Photo via Flickr user Stewart Butterfield

"ATTENTION WINE DRINKERS!!!"

People are trying to rip you off!

Do you want to buy one bottle of wine for just $15, send it to someone in the mail, and get six to 36 bottles of wine in return? Wow! Sure you do! It's almost too good to be true!

If you look up the words "holiday wine bottle exchange" in your Facebook toolbar, you will find a whole bunch of users sharing a post promising this very deal.

"Anyone interested in a holiday wine bottle exchange?" the widely circulated post asks. "It doesn't matter where you live, you are welcome to join. I need a minimum of 6 (or preferably up to 36) wine lovers to participate in a secret wine bottle exchange. Many participated last year received so many amazing wines from around the world."

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As tempting as this may sound (although, does it actually sound tempting to leave your wine selection up to people on Facebook?), you'll probably want to pass after a little further investigation. Do not spread the "holiday cheer" in this manner. It has all the makings of a pyramid scheme, and it probably is.

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That's according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), who is warning users of social media to be on the lookout for online deals which require you to rope in other people through Facebook. The BBB says that gift exchanges promising 36 gifts in return for one small sum are "illegal pyramid schemes."

"Of course, starting this gift exchange comes with a catch—you need to disclose your personal information, such as your home address," the BBB explains. "This is a typical pyramid scheme. This is on Facebook instead of the old way of using letters because social media allows it to spread a lot faster."

And spread fast it did, with plenty of people going along with the alleged scam, and plenty of their Facebook friends hopping on the bandwagon.

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This isn't the first pyramid scheme to circulate on Facebook, nor is the first wine pyramid scheme. In recent years, a Berkeley, California business man managed to defraud clients of $45 million worth of wine futures, most of which he spent on cars and women, in what was essentially a glorified pyramid scheme.

If there's one thing you shouldn't cheap out on, it's wine. And if you do need to go cheap, you should already have your wino chardonnay locked and loaded in your fridge for emotional emergencies.

If you're going to let strangers decide which bottle of wine you buy, why not go with Action Bronson in the the 'Fuck, That's Delicious' Holiday Gift Guide?

You might want to warn your pinot grigio-loving aunt who's always forwarding chain e-mails, too; she might just be the prime target for this scam.