Greetings, fans and friends!

As I go through your comments on the PCHblog each week, checking out what fans and friends like you have to say about our posts, I often come across comments like these:

“Someone sent me a friend request on Facebook saying she was Danielle from the PCH Prize Patrol. Is this real or a scam?”

“I saw on Instagram that I won the $5,000 A Week ‘Forever’ PCH SuperPrize. I think it’s a scam but I’m not sure.”

Well, first of all, good for you – all of you out there – for being such savvy social media users, and for questioning what you see! You’d be absolutely right to guess that Facebook and Instagram posts like these would be scams!

Here’s the deal: if you receive a friend request on Facebook from someone claiming to be a member of the PCH Prize Patrol or a Publishers Clearing House employee, STOP! Do NOT accept the friend request – this is a SCAM! PCH does not send friend requests to anyone, for any reason. You can also actively prevent friend requests from PCH scammers by watching this helpful video.

Let me be perfectly clear: PCH employees NEVER send friend requests on social media, so do NOT accept them. And do NOT engage in Twitter or Instagram conversations with people pretending to be from PCH. We NEVER contact you this way!

Beware of PCH Scams!

There are more to PCH scams than just friend requests on social media. A really easy way to spot a PCH scam is if you are asked to pay or wire money to claim a prize. Remember, at Publishers Clearing House the winning is ALWAYS FREE and there are NEVER any fees to claiming a prize – EVER!

Another important scam prevention tip is to remember that PCH NEVER calls winners in advance! If someone calls or contacts you in any way to say they are coming to award a prize, they are NOT from the real Publishers Clearing House! PCH would NEVER notify a winner in advance – that would spoil the surprise of the winning moment!

I hope these tips are helpful because we truly love our fans and we want you to stay safe. We work super-hard to prevent scams – and if you believe you’ve been contacted by a scammer, please fill out our Scam Incident Report right away!

After all, we want you to enter for free, have fun, enjoy the PCH experience, and maybe … who knows? … even become a big winner someday soon!

Debbie K.
PCH Creative

P.S. If you ever thought to yourself, “No one from my state ever wins PCH,” come back at 12 noon ET and read my friend Matt’s fascinating blog! You’ll never say those words again.