Publishers Clearing House is the REAL deal― a legitimate sweepstakes company that has awarded more than $225 Million in Cash and Prizes so far! Unfortunately, sometimes criminals try to cash in on our good name and trick unsuspecting people like you with Publishers Clearing House Scams. While they may be convincing, here are 5 foolproof ways to know for sure if an offer is from the REAL PCH — or if it’s a Publishers Clearing House Scam.
1. If you’re required to wire or pay any amount of money in order to claim a prize, it’s a Publishers Clearing House Scam. PCH sweepstakes are ALWAYS FREE to enter, and there is never any fee associated with winning.
2. If you’re asked to load up a Green Dot MoneyPak or other money transfer card, in exchange for claiming your prize, it’s a Publishers Clearing House Scam. Again, PCH will NEVER ask you to pay a cent to collect a prize.
3. If someone tries to contact you in advance regarding a prize delivery, it’s a Publishers Clearing House Scam! After all, that would ruin the surprise! For decades, our Prize Patrol has captured the elated reactions of surprised winners and used them in our nationally-televised commercials. You’ll know you’re a big PCH winner if you see the Prize Patrol at your front door holding a “Big Check” with your name on it!
4. If someone calls you on the telephone claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House and says you have won, it’s a Publishers Clearing House Scam. Do NOT give them any personal information! As stated above, the Prize Patrol awards all our Big Prizes in person and would never call you to update any personal information in our files.
5. If someone claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House tries to send you a friend request on Facebook, it’s a Publishers Clearing House Scam. Even if they are using the name and photo of a prominent PCH employee ―do NOT believe them. Our PCH employees and official PCH Prize Patrol Fan pages will never private message you on Facebook.
So fans, keep these 5 tips in mind, and you’ll be protected against Publishers Clearing House Scams. If you have more questions about whether something is legitimate or a scam, please visit our FAQ page. And if you’ve been contacted by a scammer, please fill out a Scam Incident Report.
And remember, you can’t WIN if you’re not IN! So, keep entering the PCH Sweepstakes daily.
All the best!
Elaina R.
PCH Online Creative
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I just received a phone message on my answering machine. William and he said publishers clearing house and left this phone number (929)270 $$$$.
I just received a call from someone by the name James Anderson. He said he was from PCH and needed my email address. Gave me a phone number 1-876-330-1364. Badge #1298pch. I’m reporting this because I know it is a scam.
Wanda Miller
Hello Wanda, Stopping these scammers is a team effort. The real PCH doesn’t notify our major prize winners via phone, standard mail, email, or social media, and we never ask for money to claim a prize. We ask that you report all scam contacts to PCH via this link: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. Stay safe everyone and be careful of scammers pretending to be the REAL Prize Patrol!
I received a check from PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE IN Jericho NY, it looks real, but I have my doubts. $18.5 MILLION I have a photo of it.
Hello Lynnette, Thank you very much for reporting the scammers that have contacted you. Stopping them is a team effort and we are happy that you are doing your part. While it may be tempting, we don’t encourage you to interact with them any more than is minimally necessary. Simply tell them that you know they’re not the real PCH and hang up or disconnect your mode of contact with them. To stop scammers from contacting you on Facebook, check out this PCH Blog article: http://bit.ly/StopFBScammers. As a reminder, you can report scammers to PCH at this link: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. Be careful and stay safe everyone!!
Yes, I did I’ve had lots of Pch scam t it’s terrible to do that to a person especially when they ask if you are alone an get mad at you an you tell them scammers you don’t have any money they want you borrow it or give your bank a can you fear for your life afraid they will come they already have all your information.
Hello Estelle, The real PCH doesn’t notify our major prize winners via phone, standard mail, email, or social media, and we never ask for money to claim a prize. Please report any details you have about that scam contact to us at this link: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. Stay safe and have fun everyone!!
They contacted me by phone (no phone number provided) and told me I won $2.5 million. But first I had to pay $400 to get some registration fee. Then get a loan for $10k to get 2 gold stars for IRS taxes.
Hi Cliff, That is not the real PCH calling you. Please report all scam contacts to PCH via this link: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. Thank you!! Stay safe everyone!
Hello, this is Alan I’ve been contacted through Tictoc. Danielle Lam I won $1,000,000,009.
Is this legitimate? alanm163
Hello Alan, That is a scammer posing as Danielle! The real Danielle doesn’t privately contact winners via Tik Tok, and you never need to pay to claim a PCH prize. Do not give the scammer ANY of your personal information. Please report this scam to us by completing a scam incident report. Click this link to find out how: https://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. Check out our Fraud Protection site to see how to stay safe: https://bit.ly/PCHFraudPrevention.
I was scammed by 4 men claiming to be Publishers Clearing House bigshots that were here to prepare me for the big prize of $15,000,000 and a New Mercedes. Also 7000$ a week for life. I believed them. They took me for 40,000$ and 40,000$ in credit card debt. After they were done another guy called me up that had a PCH ID badge As a CEO and told me the FBI was on the case and he would indeed bring me my prize the next week. Now he says I need to deposit 15,ooo in my bank account so the IRS can see I can pay some taxes before they will give me the money. That’s where it is right now. 1800 hrs, 2 October 2023.
Hi Michael, I’m sorry to tell you that those are all scammers, not the real PCH. It’s important to remember that PCH does not contact winners of a major prize via phone, text, email, mail, or on Social Media. Also, if anyone asks you for money for any reason to claim a prize, you can be sure they’re a scammer. Please don’t give them any more money, or personal information! Scammers are very sneaky and will use our good name and reputation to try to deceive people. Stopping them is a team effort so please report any and all scam contacts you receive to PCH at this link: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. We provide numerous videos, blogs, and tips to recognize these scammers here: https://info.pch.com/fraud-protection. Stay safe!
I fell for the Scam. I was told I needed to pay a registration fee of $125.00 to Mr. Jones at Greenville TN 37745. I feel like a fool. Please investigate it and someone calling himself Mark Stevenson phone number (516) 966-$$$$. My name is Paul (804) 350-$$$$. E
Hi Paul, Stopping these scammers is a team effort and we ask that you report all scam contacts to PCH via this link: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. Stay safe everyone and be careful of scammers pretending to be the REAL Prize Patrol!
I have entered many times, and have not won yet. God willing, I hope to.
Thank you for sharing these Tips!!
I have a person on line who tried very hard to scam me, this person would not give up, I played along to see what they would say. I finally told them I don’t give any information on the phone, they kept trying to tell me they understood I felt it was a scam. I didn’t buy it. As they went on their grammar was atrocious. They finally gave up. Whew that was wild.
Hi Diana, Stopping scammers is a team effort and we are happy that you are doing your part. To stop scammers from contacting you on Facebook, check out this PCH Blog article: http://bit.ly/StopFBScammers. As a reminder, you can report scammers to PCH at this link: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. Be careful and stay safe everyone!!