The Trapezoid Scheme

I'm sure we're all aware of the episode of The Simpsons ("I Married Marge") when Homer attends a seminar entitled "Million$ for nothing."

Seminar speaker: "First, let me assure you that this is not one of those shady pyramid schemes you've been hearing about. No sir. Our model is the trapezoid scheme, guaranteed to give you an eight-hundred percent return...."
(sirens are heard, and he jumps out the window)

Well I was just browsing Google Groups and found this shady-looking post:
Make THOUSANDS before the holidays with ONLY $6!! It REALLY WORKS!!!
(Plz don't ask what I was doing in Womens Studies... I was clicking around randomly OK???)

Anyway, yeah you know the types of scams/schemes they have going. Here is the proposed method:

Send through PayPal $1 to each email address on the below list. In the Subject field type in "Email List" and in the Comments field, write "PLEASE PUT ME ON YOUR EMAIL LIST". What you are doing is creating a service by this and you are not giving your email address to anyone you do not know.*
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY LEGAL. YOU ARE CREATING A SERVICE.
The email list:

#1)luke_per...@hotmail.com (luke_perkin),
#2)mtao...@cogeco.ca (mtaouil),
#3)ericm...@hotmail.com (ericm130),
#4)dannysa...@hotmail.com (dannysaide),
#5)BrandenMcl...@hotmail.com (BrandenMclean),
#6)mlgoodl...@sympatico.ca (mlgoodliff),

*Firstly, dude, I don't know about you, but I don't know any of these people. But you're certainly giving them your email address later on.

He (assumed male) then goes on to explain how you would then remove the #1, bump all the others up the list (2 -> 1, 3 -> 2, etc) and add yourself as #6. Then you go to "at least 200" newsgroups, etc, and post these instructions and your modified list of emails.

Now let's think about how this works. Yes, mathematically, (assuming people were suckered into doing it), you would gain quite a bit of money. This is because everyone who replied would be sending you (and the 5 people above you) $1. Then all of them would be pasting your email on their own lists, and assuming each of them did it 200 times, your name would be in position #5 in each of their lists. This continues and you could expect to see exponential growth.

I started thinking... no dude, it cannot be legal. It is a pyramid scheme. (The idea of a pyramid scheme being that it keeps growing out and out larger and larger so it could be represented as a pyramid.) But then I realised that once your name gets to #1 it gets bumped off, so it has a limit.

And therefore I conclude that this isn't one of those shady pyramid schemes you've been hearing about. No sir. This model is the trapezoid scheme!
Another example of Simpsons humour coming into real life. :D

DISCLAIMER: I strongly recommend you do NOT take this guy's advice. It is most likely highly illegal, despite what he says. You have been warned.

"Hello, this is Homer Simpson, A.K.A. Happy Dude. The court has ordered me to call every person in town and apologize for my telemarketing scam. I'm sorry :( If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, send one dollar to:
Sorry Dude, 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield. You have the power!"
- Homer Simpson