Helping Hands. It may sound nice, but helping is far from what officials say is the truth in this case.
"It's just about taking in money as quickly as possible and recruiting more people to bring money in as quickly as possible," says Scott Moller, Langlade County Assistant District Attorney.
That's what happens for those involved in pyramid or gifting scams. The scams were first reported right here in our area three years ago, but today they're still out there.
"We have quite a few people out there who have lost money in these pyramid schemes and that is the main goal, to get the money back to the victims," says Moller.
What exactly is a gifting scam? Officials say it's a get rich quick scam. In the "Helping Hands" case, people are usually recruited by those they trust, and then asked to dish out two thousand bucks as a gift, then wait to get their cash reward in return by moving up a pyramid set-up. Believe it or not, these scams are drawing in more than 40,000 residents in the state.
"The promise was that after working your way through the levels, this person could reach senior level and receive 16 thousand dollar pay out," says Moller.
Investigators in the state still continue to crack down on the case. If you have any information, you're asked to call Langlade County District Attorney's office at 715-627-6224.
