(KWES) - It's a social media trend that has taken over for the holidays, again. Many are trying to make extra cash by investing only $100.
Instead, they could find themselves in jail or paying a fine.
It's most commonly found as you scroll through your social media news feed and with a simple search, you get multiple options.
Is it as easy as it sounds?
A financial advisor tells us not only is it very rare you'll see your money again but it's also illegal.
"The odds of actually getting the benefit of the $800 dollars are very low," said Mickey Cargile, President of Cargile Investment Management.
It's called the 'blessing loom,' most commonly you can join a group, there you'll find information on how to pay and a chart is commonly used with names of people participating.
Once there's enough money the first person to start the loom gets paid out and more people are invited in hopes of others getting paid out too.
Most people, never see their money again.
"It's a violation of the postal code, it's a violation of the United States code," said Cargile. "Also there are banking regulations and tax ramifications for not reporting any money that you're getting from this."
Texas law states those participating in pyramid schemes can face up to two years in prison and/or a fine up to $10,000.
If that's not enough, promoting these scams is a violation of Facebook's terms and service.
What's a good rule of thumb in similar situations?
"Anytime that you are participating in something that you're getting money but you're not proving a good or a service or something like your labor, never participate in that," said Cargile. "That's just someone trying to get your money."
