Secret Sisters Gift Exchange -- the pyramid gift 'scam' taking over Facebook

It's slowly taking over Facebook -- and experts are warning the "Secret Sisters Gift Exchange" is simply a new version of an old pyramid scheme.

Do a quick search on Facebook for "Secret Sisters Gift Exchange" and you will see thousands of posts about the gift exchange. The messages first started showing up on Facebook, Pinterest and various message boards in early October, according to Snopes.com.

Participants are promised they will receive 36 gifts after only sending one gift valued at $10. Here's an example:

The idea behind the "exchange" is similar to chain letter gift exchanges that were popular in the 90s and email chain letters that were common in the early 2000s.

While many participants have shared on social media they received at least one gift after participating in the "exchange," no one has shared proof they actually received the promised 36 gifts, according to Snopes.

Despite the probability that most participants will never receive the promised avalanche of holiday gifts, it's also worth noting gift chains are illegal.

According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service: