Sherm Mason, operating under the alias "Optimus Dale" from an Arkansas address, registered the domain for his latest venture, 5 Dolla Money Lines, on October 20, 2015. This new program follows a pattern of chain recruitment and quick payouts for affiliates. Mason first appeared in public as the administrator of Magnetic Builder, a $29.95 recruitment scheme from 2011.

Mason's activity escalated significantly in 2015. He launched Paradise Payments in February, a cash gifting program with entry points from $2 to $1,000. Magnetic Gratitude followed in April, described as a $580 matrix Ponzi. July saw the release of Summer Fun Matrix, a $22 three-tier Ponzi. The 3x9 Millionaire Machine emerged in September, promising $435 million returns from a $3 buy-in. Instant Pay Christmas, a gifting program ranging from $5 to $800, debuted in November. Just weeks into 2016, Mason had already rolled out Elite Pay Alliance, another matrix cash gifting arrangement, making 5 Dolla Money Lines his second offering this year. This shows a rapid cycle of new schemes.

The 5 Dolla Money Lines program sells no tangible products or services to end consumers. Instead, participants pay a $5 membership fee and purchase $10 "positions" within its compensation structure. Each $10 position purportedly includes advertising credits, which members can use to run advertisements on the 5 Dolla Money Lines website. These credits, however, function as window dressing for the core activity. They lack independent market value.

The core of the program involves affiliates paying $5 for each new recruit who buys a $10 position. This payment structure operates on a 2-up passup model within a unilevel organization. In a unilevel system, each participant sits at the top of their own structure. Their direct recruits form Level 1, their recruits' recruits form Level 2, and so on. Under the 5 Dolla Money Lines rules, an affiliate receives $5 for every Level 1 recruit who purchases a position. However, the payments from their second and fourth recruits are "passed up" to their own upline. This passup mechanism extends infinitely deep into the downline, meaning participants can collect $5 payments from recruits on Level 2 and beyond, as long as new members continue to join and buy positions.

A new member's minimum entry cost is $15: a $5 membership fee plus at least one $10 position. This simple model hinges on constant recruitment. Participants pay $5 to join, then earn $5 from those they recruit. Those new recruits, in turn, pay $5 to do the same. This cycle continues until the inflow of new participants inevitably slows or stops.

The absence of a refund policy for unused advertising credits further exposes the scheme's true nature. If the credits held genuine value, a typical business would offer prorated refunds. The explicit "No refunds. Period." clause confirms that money flows directly to earlier participants, leaving nothing to be returned when recruitment falters.

Mason's previous ventures have consistently followed a pattern of rapid collapse as recruitment inevitably declines. When new participants stop joining, commission payments cease, leaving later entrants with losses. This economic reality applies to all of Mason's operations, and 5 Dolla Money Lines shows no indication of breaking that trend. Such programs typically last only a few weeks before the next iteration appears. The Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general frequently pursue enforcement actions against such pyramid schemes, which are illegal under federal and most state laws.