Money tree scam

Remember, don't return the money things, delete them. Returning them only lets them be used again.

Magic Money! found at Frontenac <89.388634, 164.102631, 97.350777>
Magic Money! found at Brocade <223.170258, 8.501747, 134.934052>
Magic Money! found at Shipton <60.882980, 248.892303, 31.087326>
Magic Money! found at Ross <187.535477, 149.382141, 35.115383> LOL PHAROS LIGHTHOUSE
Magic Money! found at Rydal <89.476448, 170.138977, 39.680569>
Magic Money! found at Munro <71.141068, 162.479172, 146.050308>
Magic Money! found at Kendall <28.924566, 21.454773, 116.515839
Magic Money! found at Kendall <65.125237, 101.412689, 115.158516>
Magic Money! found at SupportforHealing <151.339401, 40.645969, 36.327999>
Magic Money! found at Hearts Enchanted <95.847183, 30.167278, 24.687317>

WONDERFUL LORD! slowy but surely!

I've put the scanner in my home location for anyone who wants one.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Theretra/174/202/96/

Hah! Nice! One of the guys who's planting them just popped up and left one just at the edge of my land!



edit: he's come and removed it now. Seems like a pleasant chap, though it doesn't make me not AR or disapprove of the basic principle any less. You do this sort of thing and you take your chances with other residents and LL, really.

Magic Money! found at Menophra <111.521721, 6.000000, 46.000000>
Magic Money! found at Gealain <118.662888, 86.436668, 107.136002>

Now I'm completely obsessed and can't wait to get home, log on, and scan, scan, scan. It's always something, ain't it?

Magic Money! found at Busiris <69.906525, 78.975784, 21.096001>
Magic Money! found at Montezuma <123.500000, 211.500000, 65.682167
Magic Money! found at Montezuma <142.361938, 224.409363, 56.117191>
OMG I found one of the owner of that thing!

Magic Money! found at Miru <232.984924, 138.762985, 21.372747>
Magic Money! found at Miru <241.951019, 129.752106, 29.500500>-
Magic Money! found at Miru <216.825363, 116.886200, 61.118202
Magic Money! found at Miru <203.032425, 78.486938, 40.500000
Magic Money! found at Miru <165.253922, 131.223129, 29.131248
Magic Money! found at Miru <239.820450, 195.191727, 31.018574
Magic Money! found at Miru <190.268250, 68.926224, 24.019764>

LOL LOOK AT ALL THESE

All three of the items that were placed on my land were back today - two out of reach of the autoreturn and one on a neighbor's land bordering the money tree. This time it was not the creator, but someone else who placed them. When I asked, they got very indignant about it, especially when I noted that their object was easy to cover up with a prim. Several people have been going around covering these items up when they see them. The creator of the item also posted in my forums, claiming that the item is paying out to his "investors". If it is paying out anything at all, it sounds like a simple pyramid scheme.

I've yet to abuse report or comment via forum post on this subject but have been doing something that seems to contribute to ending this simplistic MLM scheme. Talking to the new residents, buying in and dropping these objects, who appear to believe this is a social acceptable way to make money in SL. Now while not calling it a TOS violation I've just mentioned that they're hurting their chances getting a positive start in SL. Dropped them a link to this forum thread as well so they can see the general opinion about such actions and leave it at that.

At that point many want to debate it being legit or not, I simply tell them I'm not looking to change their opinion but save them from being ostracized from the SL community. A good number of new residents have actually apologized and asked for help tracking down the objects they have dropped but forgotten where. No one wants to be unmutual.

Also the group that is affiliated with this "business" is publicly joinable. Had a few group conversations with online members this morning, turned a few of them around.

Cover them up with a prim that explains they're an illegal pyramid scheme and the owner and creator have already been abuse-reported.

This is a classic "make-money-fast" scheme, and I'm afraid we're going to see more of these if this one doesn't get slapped down fast and hard EVERY TIME it shows up. There's whole freaking nurseries of this kind of scam on the net. People will come in with free accounts on stolen credit cards and run them for a day or two and forward the Lindens to a "legit" alt that can cash out before they're ARed and banned.

Apparently, if you don't grant debit permissions to the object, the creator doesn't get any cut at all! Which made me laugh.

I've been going around covering those that have been reported here with single prims, and others are doing that too. I'm pretty sure the total amount of money made by any of the participants in the scheme isn't enough to buy a pair of cigarettes.

let alone a half a brain

Not to mention if you do grant the script debit permissions, it could very easily drain your account and pay out to the creator, and there would be no TOS violation.

These are appearing all over the place. Last night I found 15 of these all placed at the tp point of shops. AR'd them, and contacted the shop owner and a Linden.
It seemed from the Lindens that attended these that they cannot delete them ?? and so the money makers stay until the land owner can remove them.

Thanks so much Ordinal for making a scanner for these! It makes it much easier to locate them, plus can pass the scanner on to friends that may not see the forums

I was covering the "magic money" things up, but I have had second thoughts and am removing my covers. I'm concerned that some land owners may report me as being connedted to the $ things and or for leaving objects on their land.

Just now found 4 of those things at Harbinger's Haven in Lozi. No money trees here. They were setup near our comments boxes.

What really pisses me off is people who feel ripped off won't blame the owner of the object but the location they were in at the time.....

~B

AR the owners for pyramid schemes and vandalism. And add them to ban lists. Lindens are aware, but you know that it'll take an age before any constructive action is taken without repeated ARs. Meanwhile, being banned from numerous locations will put people off the idea.

Mr Omlet: I wouldn't worry too much about landowners thinking you had something to do with it. If you're worried, just drop them an IM explaining what you did and why.

Thanks for all the support for the scanner by the way!

Oh, someone has just told me that if you create an object called "Magic Money!", start a new script in it and save it - just the default script, or any one you fancy - it will block anyone from creating a new Magic Money! object in the area. Which sounds like a good idea. You could even combine that with the scanner, just rename it "Magic Money!" - though the scanner will detect any of these fakes as well.

Well, it looks like a made a monster.
This was just a wacky idea that kept me up 2 hours one night.
When I was 6 years old my dad told me about this thing.
You'd see flyers everywhere that said make $300 a week stuffing envelopes.
Just send a dollar to this address.
Then you'd get a paper in the mail that said hang flyers that say make $300 a week...
So I thought I'd try an electronic version of it.
Only this way, no one can cheat and not send out the envelopes.
So I made it, released it and oooooh lordy.
The opinions have been really polarized.
Frankly, it's not a scam, I make money off each one but only %10.
But the people that buy them seem happy, here's one response.

Dear, Bafilius Goff
I truly and greatly apreciate the service your magic money has provided me i have sold many in my first day and plan to sell many more i have had many people enjoy it and i as well do enjoy it, it is one of the best investments i ever made and i would do it again in a heartbeat

Your supporter ..... .....

I'll leave the name anonymous.
Apparently the thing is buggy though so I'll try to contact the Lindens to try to wipe them out.

Take care all.

at least the guy answered the forums. respect for that... so waht charity/organisation you gonna donate your 10 percent of the cut to... maybe all the money trees should be topped up...

Yup, I've tried to respond politely to everyone who's contacted me about this even though they've mostly been rude. Donating it is a great idea though. But I've spent most of the 1500 or so I've made. Maybe you can talk to the other people in my Magic Money group. Thanks.

Shill, or what!