How to Recognize Publishers Clearing House PCH Scams

Table Of Content

• Scam letter claims you won $2.5M prize from Publishers Clearing House
• Requests to send financial information to a “claims agent”
• AVOIDING SCAMS: Staying safe as tax season wraps up
• nvestigates: Scam Alert – Publishers Clearing House scam
• Verify Your Wins With Publishers Clearing House Directly
• A Message From our Partners at The Federal Trade Commission

They never award prizes over the phone, on social media, in email, or through the mail. If you are asked to provide your credit card number or provide your financial bank account information in order to claim a sweepstakes prize — STOP. Fraudulent scam artists often request this information and then go on a spending spree with your credit card; or wipe out your bank account. At PCH the winning is always free and you NEVER have to pay to claim a prize. If you receive an email, phone call, email or letter from Publishers Clearing House saying that you're a big winner, it's easy to get so excited that you do or agree to things that make you vulnerable to money and identity theft. That's why it's important to be able to tell the difference between a legitimate prize win and a sweepstakes scam.

Scam letter claims you won $2.5M prize from Publishers Clearing House

We continue to evolve as a multi-channel media company that combines digital entertainment and direct-to-consumer marketing and commerce, creating an attractive destination for consumers, marketers, and retailers alike. So, PCH and the Federal Trade Commission try to educate folks about sweepstake scams that devastate the lives of victims.If you hear from scammers or fall victim, PCH said to contact them and local law enforcement. Her brother sent a gift card to scammers who claimed he won the PCH million-dollar sweepstakes. One major red flag the BBB says you should notice, if you didn’t enter a sweepstakes then you’re likely not eligible to win.

Requests to send financial information to a “claims agent”

When PCH fans find and follow the page, the scammers message them to tell them they've won a prize — and ask for money before they can claim their "winnings." Victims hand over cash but never see a prize. Do NOT use the telephone numbers or email addresses included in your win notice when you do this step — scammers often include fake contact information to trick their victims. For example, if you call a number in your win notice, you might reach the scammer, not the legitimate PCH organization. You’ll can also find out how to view your entire account online at our My Account Page. And zip code and you can check on your account any time, any day. Check your order status, your account balance, check on the delivery of most merchandise purchases, and make payments by check, debit or credit card.

AVOIDING SCAMS: Staying safe as tax season wraps up

Publishers Clearing House was founded in 1953 by Harold and LuEsther Mertz and their daughter, Joyce Mertz-Gilmore. From their garage, mailings were created offering consumers an unprecedented array of discounted magazine subscription offers. In 1967 the company launched a sweepstakes to draw attention to its magazine deals and a chance to win money has been a part of the PCH promotional mix ever since. In 1999 PCH launched pch.com, and in recent years, a family of online free-to-play, chance-to-win properties and mobile apps have been developed in support of the brand identity that “It's All About Winning” at Publishers Clearing House.

nvestigates: Scam Alert – Publishers Clearing House scam

So, if you get contacted by someone who says you won, it’s probably a scam. The PCH check scam works by convincing victims to cash a fake check and transfer a portion of the proceeds back to the scammers. The Publishers Clearing House scam  is a type of sweepstakes scam in which fraudsters impersonate company representatives and claim you’ve won a prize. Publishers Clearing House works diligently to fight scams, both by working with law enforcement officials and through public education. Scammers extort money from you in exchange for a promise of a prize that never materializes. The truth is you never, ever have to pay to receive a sweepstakes prize from Publishers Clearing House or any other company.

Verify Your Wins With Publishers Clearing House Directly

PCH would never request that you send money to claim a prize and we never notify major prize winners by phone or email. The information you provide is entered into our PCH Scam database which we share with the Federal Trade Commission. Their database is then shared with law enforcement authorities around the country. If you receive an e-mail notifying you that you have won a major sweepstakes prize, but are asked to provide personal financial information, or send money — STOP -– you have most likely been contacted by a fraudulent sweepstakes scam operator. At Publishers Clearing House we do not notify major prize winners by e-mail.

Fact Check

We’re happy to provide the phone numbers you’ll need to call one of our Customer Service representatives or the mailing address to write to us, or even how to e-mail us. “I just wanted to let you know that and if you could report it, that they are scamming people," Tayna said. That can help them hunt the scammers down and prosecute them, although it’s difficult to do. “These guys, the scam artists, are pretty sophisticated, they try to say all the right things,” Irving said. The folks at PCH headquarters in New York were more than happy to see a recent story in which the Problem Solvers warned how easy it is to fall victim.

Columnist called and queried con artist - he hung up - Roanoke Times

Columnist called and queried con artist - he hung up.

Posted: Tue, 25 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Remember, PCH never sends friend requests over social media, nor do they use social media to notify people of any major prize wins. Since its inception, the hallmark of the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes has been that no purchase, fee, cost or payment is ever necessary to enter or win. This message appears repeatedly in our mailings in many forms, is present in our website disclosures and is featured on our toll-free customer service line.

PCH has come to be known as the sweepstakes company whose famous Prize Patrol surprises winners on their doorsteps with oversized checks in amounts anywhere from $1,000 to Multi-Millions while TV cameras are rolling. These memorable, real-life reactions of stunned winners have entertained audiences all across America. Our continued success in today's new digital publishing environment is built on PCH's unique, free-to-play, chance-to-win propositions. Data and analytics have always been at the core of the PCH business strategy to optimize relevant engagement through personalized offers based on first-party relationships.

Tanya’s brother was told the money was needed to pay to have the prize delivered and to pay taxes. No one can prevent all identity theft or monitor all transactions effectively. Further, any testimonials on this website reflect experiences that are personal to those particular users, and may not necessarily be representative of all users of our products and/or services.

Entering sweepstakes and giveaways is fun, exciting and enjoyable. But please keep these valuable tips and warning signs in mind to help you identify which offers are real and which are scams. Before you respond to any win notice, especially those from big companies like PCH, take some steps to verify your prize wins. If your prize notification asks for money to pay for taxes, to release the prize, to pay for customs, or for any other reason, it's a scam. However, you may be notified of smaller prize wins by mail or email, so continue to read the other signs of a legitimate PCH win. There are lots of fun and heartwarming stories from real PCH winners on these social media channels.

He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Victoria and a passion for helping people identify and avoid fraud. PCH provides customers with assistance and can answer any sweepstakes questions you may have. If you wish to report a scam contact to us, you may do so by clicking here to fill out and complete a scam incident report. Scammers are adept at making people believe that they are affiliated with Publishers Clearing House when they're not. PCH is a popular target of scams because most Americans are familiar with the company, many have already entered the MegaPrize giveaways, and nearly all want to believe they have really won a prize.