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Big-name sweepstakes sponsors like PCH are a prime target for scammers, who style win notifications to match the branding of the company they're impersonating. The Publishers Clearing House scam is a type of sweepstakes scam in which fraudsters impersonate company representatives and claim you’ve won a prize. Jory MacKay is a writer and award-winning editor with over a decade of experience for online and print publications. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Victoria and a passion for helping people identify and avoid fraud.
Consumer Advice
Publishers Clearing House: How to know if it's really them - WFMYNews2.com
Publishers Clearing House: How to know if it's really them.
Posted: Wed, 13 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
” This form, however, does not enter them in the sweepstakes. Third, receiving a real prize is never dependent on giving money first. This kind of requirement is illegal for lotteries. You have to be able to enter to win the prize without doing anything which would cost money. Furthermore, you must be able to receive the prize even if you don't own a phone.
Were You the Victim of a PCH Sweepstakes Scam?
When can we expect to see a refund of our money we spent over the years?? I have been buying and dealing with PCH for more than 20 years. Tells people your chances are better if you buy something.
Beware of These 5 Publishers Clearing House Scams
To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission. First they copy images and content from the PCH Prize Patrol official Facebook account.
At Publishers Clearing House we do not notify major prize winners by e-mail. First I need to inform you that you did not hear from the real Publishers Clearing House. 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 a telephone call from someone claiming you have won a sweepstakes prize and are asked to send money — STOP — you have not heard from a legitimate sweepstakes company.
PCH is Fighting Back Against Fraud!
If you believe you are eligible for a refund, there is nothing you need to do. When we have more information about the refund program, we will post updates here and provide information directly to consumers who are eligible for a refund. The FTC’s complaint charges that where PCH included disclaimers or clarifying information on shopping pages, it was in small, light font, below the “call to action” buttons, and overlooked by consumers. On that note, let’s take a moment to talk about the kinds of PCH impersonator scams that our fans might encounter.
A Message From our Partners at The Federal Trade Commission
Publishers Clearing House began in 1953 as a service that hawked magazine subscriptions. Responding to competitors, the company began to entice homeowners by offering them “sweepstakes” — chances to win tens of thousands and then millions of dollars. As it stands, there are several types of PCH impersonator scams that fraudsters will utilize. On that note, let’s take a look at how to stay safe against potential PCH impersonator scams. Publishers Clearing House works diligently to fight scams, both by working with law enforcement officials and through public education.
Skip the scams as you look for options to avoid foreclosure
If you comply, the scammer will invent more obstacles that you need to clear before you can claim your prize — such as sending money, information, or both. Instead, the complaint charges, consumers enter an arduous journey through pages of advertisements and sales pitches before they can actually enter the sweepstakes. Recently, I had a woman with a thick foreign accent call me claiming to be from another state's Department of Revenue. She said we had failed to file our quarterly tax payment for the past two quarters. If I would just provide the information to her, she would make sure it was filled in properly. She raised so many red flags that I suspected she was a scam.
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This can be done in a couple of different ways. I recieved two messages from "PCH" and kept them on my answerinng machine so my friends could be aware. Names you've come to know and recognize such as Dave Sayer, Howie Guja and Danielle Lam — all real members of our famous PCH Prize Patrol.
As our fans well know, Publishers Clearing House is a famous brand notorious for handing out massive sums of money. Unfortunately, because PCH is such a recognizable name tied to big-money winners, this dynamic lends itself to different Publishers Clearing House impersonator scams and swindlers using our good name. Or that doing so would improve their chances of winning a prize. PCH appears to be a scam, but it may have employees who are using the names and phone numbers of their game players to tell them they have won a big prize, but the winner will have to pay the first year's taxes! These people always have eastern European accents, speak in the upper register of voice (higher frequencies), refer to themselves as "Mr" with a "Waspy" like "Brown," "Smith," "Johnson," etc.
Publishers Clearing House (PCH) does NOT make or authorize outgoing calls to consumers to sell merchandise or magazines, or to solicit sweepstakes entries. Our major winners are notified by mail or in person (at our option) and we never phone ahead to disclose that someone has won a major prize. The call you received was most likely from a fraudulent sweepstakes scam operation. At Publishers Clearing House the winning is always free.
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. We do not claim, and you should not assume, that all users will have the same experiences.
They may even send you a check for partial payment and they may ask you to send part of it back. The BBB says Publishers Clearing House will never ask you to pay them money. But more scammers now text as a way to get around some new rules on robocalls and the improved technology. Robotexts aren't covered by the federal law that went into place June 30, 2021. Many of the scammers, though, aren't being caught and consumers are out the cash.
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