PCHs Guide to Avoid and Protect Yourself Against Scammers
Table Of Content
Even if you’re not asked to pay upfront, there are other red flags to look out for when dealing with a fake PCH award. Aura’s app keeps you safe from scams, fraud, and identity theft. Report sweepstakes and other scams to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Beley called the phone number he was given to verify his winnings and was connected with someone named "Major." When Gene Beley said he knew it was too good to be true after receiving a call congratulating him for winning $7 million from Publishers Clearing House, and saying the award team was just 40 minutes away with the check. It is a fake check and did not come from the real PCH.
Media Contacts
At Publishers Clearing House we do not notify our contest winners by phone. Publishers Clearing House wants to warn you about scam artists sending out real looking checks in an attempt to get you to send money! Scam artists send you an official looking letter claiming to award you a sweepstakes prize. The letter may illegally use the name of a well known company like Publishers Clearing House or a sound alike name in an attempt to build trust.
Did you get a call about winning a big Publishers Clearing House prize? It's a scam
She would get no information from me, but I would pass her concern on to our payroll department to see if they were filing the payroll for our remote employees correctly. Apparently, some state government agencies really do call you if they want their tax revenue. We hope this information was helpful and successfully protects you from any potential PCH impersonator scams (and other types of internet scams) that you may encounter. The info will then be shared with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the US Postal Service, and police and law enforcement officials to help put an end to the scam. With this understanding of different PCH impersonator scams, how to spot them, and how to avoid getting caught in one, the only thing left is to learn how to report a Publishers Clearing House impersonator scam. It happened to me last week, the difference was thatthey were going to bring me a check for $14,500,000to my door.
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Scammers swindle thousands off Okeechobee County resident - WPEC
Scammers swindle thousands off Okeechobee County resident.
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A spoofed website looks like the official PCH entry form. If you use it, however, you transmit your information directly to scammers instead. Here are some tips on how to identify fake websites. When it comes to smaller prizes, they notify winners via an overnight express carrier (like USPS Express Mail, FedEx, or UPS) or through email. Prizes are awarded in eight weeks after selecting the winners.
Protecting Yourself Again PCH Impersonator Scams
He was told the process of receiving the prize was complex. It involved proof of ID and going to his bank in order to make a tax payment. Because of "some specific tax laws," the client was told that $850K in federal taxes were immediately due to the IRS. His bank could handle that but he would need $58,580 in his checking account to pay state taxes. He was calling his financial advisor so we could help free up enough cash to transfer money to his checking account.
Sweepstakes-related fraud
Keep sending warnings because these scams are here to stay. We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. 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.
Scammers ask you to pay these ways because it’s nearly impossible to trace the money — and you’ll almost never get it back. We appreciate your visit to the fraud protection section of our site and thank you for educating consumers about scam artists who oftentimes use our good name in attempts to deceive. Unfortunately, some well-intentioned coverage of this issue has resulted in headline and text copy that may be misread to indicate that the scam is from the real Publishers Clearing House. Headlines like "Publishers Clearing House Scam", or "PCH Drawing — You May Be a Loser", or "Beware of the PCH Scam" can easily be interpreted as a representation against the real PCH.
Woman avoids loss of money in Publisher’s Clearinghouse scam: Highland Heights Police Blotter - cleveland.com
Woman avoids loss of money in Publisher’s Clearinghouse scam: Highland Heights Police Blotter.
Posted: Thu, 25 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
You may have to fill out an affidavit to verify eligibility if you win, but not when you enter. If the entry form asks for this kind of personal information, it's a sign you are on a spoofed website. 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. So if you receive notification of a big prize by any method other than an in-person award, you know you're being scammed.
About the FTC
While Publishers Clearing House has been a reputable company for nearly 70 years, PCH scams do exist. Because of this lamentable fact, we want to show you what to look out for so that you can avoid these kinds of frauds and how to protect yourself from Publishers Clearing House impersonator scams that emerge from time to time. Some scammers even ask people to provide their Social Security number and bank account information in order to claim the prize. But the whole thing is a setup to get you to either send them money (or gift cards) or disclose enough sensitive information to enable them to steal your identity and empty your bank account. Whether it's the grand prize or a smaller prize from any sweepstakes or business, you never have to pay upfront, no fees, not taxes, not shipping.
I guess fortunately for me, when i calledthe "876" number, which i later learned was Jamaica,no one answered. The man that called identified himself as John Miller, and gave me a "badge number." He insisted i write down everything he told me. During those times, i did some research on his phone number and found it was from Jamaica and saw reports of it being a scam. Later, i would get calls from a "private number" from them, and answered only once, then answered no more calls; they called up untilaround mid-night that evening. 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.
The mission of the Alliance has been to empower consumers to recognize and avoid consumer scams through public education and media programs. Members represent over 20 financial institutions, associations, consumer advocacy groups and businesses. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. Comments and user names are part of the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) public records system, and user names also are part of the FTC’s computer user records system.
The complaint asserts that these manipulations included presenting a big button with the words “Win it! "At Publishers Clearing House, the winning is always free, and you never have to pay to claim a prize," the fraud protection page said. Beley said he was sure the call was fraud when Major told him to go to the nearest drugstore and buy a "Visa Vanilla Card," which the scammer said was for tax purposes.
Then they use this content to target people who follow the PCH page — and inform targets that they’ve won. Eventually, the scammers ask for up-front payments, a portion of the winnings, or financial data. This scam starts with a phone call informing you that you’ve won a cash prize, a new car, or a vacation. In order to claim the prize, you need to send money to the organization to pay for processing fees or other charges.
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. I have told PCH these facts, but nothing happens and that supports the hypothesis that they are authoring and responsible, but this is all in question. I live in a retirement community in Green Valley, AZ. I volunteer for our Sheriff's Department taking calls from people who have been scammed.
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.
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