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.
Does a man named Benjamin Vincent work for PCH?
Hello Cynthia, If you need assistance, please reach out to our customer service team by clicking the link here: https://bit.ly/ContactPCH.
Good MORNING-
[3/8, 2:08 AM] +1 (973) 798-$$$$: I’m Danielle Lam From P C H Social Network Inc Head office in New York Jericho And I Was Authorize To Give you a vital text sms By The P C H CEO.. ANDREW GOLDBERG
[3/8, 9:38 AM] +1 (973) 798-$$$$: We can’t do it like that
Some one on Facebook claiming to be Dave and Danielle from PCH and they wanted me to upload a photo ID to Coinbase and to open up a account from a Bank in Texas that I have never heard of. They also wanted me to send them $200 so they could send me my Truck that I won and $200 to send me my one million dollars that I had won through Fedx. I block the one claiming to be Dave and I fixing to block the one claiming to be Danielle now. I knew that PCH doesn’t contact anyone if they are a winning they surprise them at their front door with flowers–wine–balloon and all that is done in person not on social media.
Hello Shona, We don’t contact our fans privately on Facebook. 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. I also encourage you to take a look at this PCH Blog for info on how you can stop scammers from contacting you: http://bit.ly/StopFBScammers. Stay safe everyone!!
Please help, my husband was messaging someone on Facebook messenger claiming he won… he would need to purchase a gift card of $850 before claiming the money… they were asking about his Facebook name, his ID card, and his address… plus they say it’s private to not tell no one… on the other hand the phone number is 612…
any suggestions on what I should do…
Hi Michelle! That is definitely a scammer who contacted you! PCH will never send friend requests, private messages, or winner notifications via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.; we also never ask for money to claim a prize. Do not give this person any personal information and certainly do not send them any money!! Instead, report them to PCH by completing a Scam Incident Report. Here’s how: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. Check out this FAQ for info on how to stop scammers from contacting you on Facebook: http://bit.ly/StopFBScammers. Please be careful everyone; don’t become a scammer’s victim!
I got an email saying it was Daniel and he was saying I won lol. I knew it was a scam. I’m playing everyday and sometime way early in the mornings..
Hi David! We’re so glad that you knew that wasn’t the real PCH. As you know, the Prize Patrol will never ask for money to claim a prize. We also don’t notify winners via social media, standard mail, email, or phone. Please report any details you have about this scammer to PCH here: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. Stay safe and protect yourselves from becoming scam victims!!
I was contacted by someone who claimed to.be with PCH, telling me that since the covid outbreak the prize patrol had been suspended. However they gave me a phone number to reach Benjamin Vincent at publisher’s and a winner’s number and I would be the winner of 10 million, 7,000 a week and a new car. Since I have a spam filter on my phone the number sent was regarded as spam. Just to check it out I tried calling the number a few times and my phone said spam so I never got an answer. The date of the call was yesterday 2/2/2023. I have tried to contact PCH directly just to either report it or find out if it was legitimate. Couldn’t find a site where it didn’t want me to enter again.
Hello Tommy, 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. 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. I also encourage you to check out these Safety Tips for some great info on what to watch for: https://bit.ly/FraudProtection2. Stay safe everyone!!
I got a message from a friend on Instagram about PCH program. She claimed she won $150,000. It was free and she doesn’t need to pay it back. She sent me a link to a Randy Ward. She wanted me to message him.
Hi Megan! That is definitely a scammer who contacted you. PCH will never send friend requests, private messages, or winner notifications via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc; we also never ask for money to claim a prize. Do not give this person any personal information and certainly do not send them any money!! Instead, report them to PCH by completing a Scam Incident Report. Here’s how: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. Check out this FAQ for info on how to stop scammers from contacting you on Facebook: http://bit.ly/StopFBScammers. Please be careful everyone; don’t become a scammer’s victim!
I just got a call that I was one of the big winners. Plus a BMW SUV.
The agent’s name was John S$$$$$$$$$. His number is $$$ $$$-$$$$.
Hi Brenda! That is not the real PCH calling you; it’s a scammer that’s only pretending to be from PCH. Please do not call that number, do not give the scammer any personal info including bank account information, and definitely do not send them any money if they ask. If you haven’t already done so, please report that scam contact to us via the following link: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. I encourage you to read these Safety Tips too: https://bit.ly/FraudProtection2. Please be careful everyone; don’t become a scammer’s victim!
How about donations for orphan kids.
I get copied accounts friend requests from people claiming I am eligible for a PCH grant of $100,000 happens pretty often. A Sherman Hargrove contacted me. I already am friends with him. So the new friend request is suspicious. But I accepted it and very soon he asked me if I knew about the PCH grant.
Hello Pam, The friend request and private message you received was not from the real Todd. We don’t contact our fans privately on Facebook. 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. I also encourage you to take a look at this PCH Blog for info on how you can stop scammers from contacting you: http://bit.ly/StopFBScammers. Stay safe everyone!!