# What Happens to Chain Letters You Send to This Address? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-chain-letters-you-send-to-this-address/148675 "2003-01-15T03:25:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-chain-letters-you-send-to-this-address/148675/1 "2003-01-15T03:25:22Z")
A little while ago, while surfing the net, I came across [this](http://www.csicop.org/chain/) website. It is runned by [CSICOP](http://www.csicop.org)–the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal. As many of you may already know, they are a group of scientists that like to debunk outrageous claims, like of ghosts, UFO’s and the like. As you can see, [it](http://www.csicop.org/chain/) is meant to help people who are “addicted” to sending those dreaded _chain letters_–which it of course is totally against. I got that part. But what I don’t understand, is what happens when you take their (light-hearted) advice, and send your chain letters to [this](http://www.csicop.org/chain/postal.html) postal address. What on earth happens to your chain letters then? Do skeptical scientists receive them? Are they put in some archive? Because really, when you think about it, they could just pop them in the trash bin, and no one would be the wiser–right? BTW, for those of you who don’t like stamping and mailing those troublesome envelopes, they also have [this](http://www.csicop.org/chain/form.html) method for online submittal–which brings me to my next question. Where do your copied and pasted chain letters go to when you do it that way? Just curious, I guess… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@sj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sj2)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-chain-letters-you-send-to-this-address/148675/2 "2003-01-15T04:08:45Z")
Perhaps they go to my dear old die-hard Irish Catholic mom who forwards these such emails in 16pt. pink font…with the drill down approach of open body…open body…open body…open body…open body…open body. She also thinks that sending to me 10 times will obsolve her of sending it to ten other people. And her wish will be granted. Thanks, by the way, for a new Internet Favorite. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2003, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-chain-letters-you-send-to-this-address/148675/3 "2003-01-15T08:19:14Z")
I would hope, \> /dev/null (for the UNIX people out there).