Greetings, fans and friends!
Do you have to pay to claim a PCH prize? If you’ve won a Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes, is there a fee in order to receive your winnings?
The answer is absolutely NOT. Not only are PCH sweepstakes and giveaways always FREE to enter, you never have to pay a penny to claim a PCH prize – of any amount – EVER!
In fact, if anyone tells you – either by phone; email; or social media like Facebook or Twitter or Instagram; that you’ve won a PCH prize and you must make some sort of payment in order to claim it, THIS IS A SCAM!
Paying to Claim a Prize? That’s a PCH Scam!
Let’s break it down here:
- Publishers Clearing House would never ask you to pay to claim a prize of any amount.
- Publishers Clearing House would never call winners in advance, would never send you a Facebook friend request, and would never engage in any other type of social media conversation with you!
- For major prizes, the PCH Prize Patrol will deliver your prize check to you in person – along with balloons, champagne and roses.
- If you are asked to send cash or a check … or purchase a Green Dot MoneyPak prepaid card or any other cash card – DON’T DO IT! The scammer will ask for the numbers located on the back of the card. Once they have this information they are able to access the money quickly. And once the money is gone, it’s gone forever.
There are NEVER any fees to claiming a prize!
If there’s one thing to remember here, fans and friends, it’s that if you become a PCH prize winner, we pay YOU! You NEVER have to pay us.
At Publishers Clearing House the winning is ALWAYS FREE, and there are NEVER any fees to claiming a prize! If someone tells you that you’ve won a prize, but that in order to claim it you need to give them money for any reason – STOP – it’s a SCAM!
I hope I’ve made this all perfectly clear. At PCH, we love to make entering enjoyable and exciting, we love to award prizes and we love to make dreams come true!
If you believe you’ve been contacted by a scammer, please fill out our Scam Incident Report right away!
Stay safe … and have fun!
Debbie K.
PCH Creative
P.S. If you’ve learned one important lesson from this blog, what is it? Please comment below!
Other blogs you may like:
Beware of PCH Scams on Facebook and Instagram
I was contacted by an Ivan Sho at $$$-$$$-$$$$, claiming that I won 3.5 million, and that he needed 1% to collect my winnings. Hung up.
Hi Jordan, we’re glad you could tell that was a scammer. Please report them to PCH via this link: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. PCH does partner with the Federal Trade Commission and we send all scam reports to them so please make sure you let us know anytime a scammer contacts you. Remember, the real PCH never notifies major prize winners via phone, standard mail, email, or social media, and we never ask winners to pay to claim their prize. You can see more Safety Tips here: https://info.pch.com/fraud-protection. Stay safe!
I have been contacted by a woman called Kia on Facebook she screwed me for 3000.00 last year
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Just heard from a Thomas Washington, from PCH supposedly.
Also working for him is David Anderson (as Delivery Agent)
Gave me
Badge number PCH $$$$
Claim number $$$$$$$$$
Neil Chambers
$$$-$$$-$$$$
$$$-$$$-$$$$
I haven’t gave them any money yet.
They wanted $25,000.00, said they
Got $12,500.00 to give me or quote Sponsor money.
Said I won 2nd place, $2.5 Million delivered by Brinks Truck.
Mercedes EU350 2024.
Also 5,000.00 a week for life
David Anderson is the one I’ve been talking daily for a week.
Confused they are good, I also gave a contract typed in a form.
Steve Harvey called me from
$$$-$$$-$$$$.
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Hi Ronald! Please be careful, those are scammers calling you, NOT the real PCH. We recommend that you do not engage with them, and hang up right away if the do call back. It’s important to remember that PCH does not contact winners of a major prize via phone, text, email, mail, or on Social Media. Also, if anyone asks you for money for any reason to claim a prize, you can be sure they’re a scammer. Please don’t give them any money, or any personal information! Scammers are very sneaky and will use our good name and reputation to try to deceive people. Stopping them is a team effort so please report any and all scam contacts you receive to PCH at this link: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. We provide numerous videos, blogs, and tips to recognize these scammers here: https://info.pch.com/fraud-protection. Stay safe!
Thank you, I have gotten a call from 1520-$$$-$$$$ Mr. Henry Hawkins saying I was a winner asking for fee of $420.00 processing fee.
There’s someone on Facebook claiming to be Danielle Lam, saying I’ve won and asking for a payment. How can this be allowed.
Robert
Hi Robert! That is definitely a scammer who contacted you. PCH will never send friend requests, private messages, or winner notifications via social media including Facebook, and we also never ask for money to claim a prize. Do not give this person any personal information and certainly do not send them any money!! Instead, report them to PCH by completing a Scam Incident Report. Here’s how: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. Check out this FAQ for info on how to stop scammers from contacting you on Facebook: http://bit.ly/StopFBScammers. Stay Safe!
Is there a Billy Pattoy working with you guys, badge number $$$$$$$$ bp $$$, because he keeps saying I won and says he works for global international. I really need to know because he already got 400 dollars out of me.
Hi Oscar! I’m sorry to tell you that was a scammer, 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 money, or any 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-2/. Stay safe!
They say the 500.00 dollars is for License, to legitimate.
I have never entered a lottery, but I’m always contacted by someone claiming to be from PCH and asking for a payment of $500 dollars to pay for a prize winning. They have contacted me before. The name I always see is Danielle Lam.
Hi Joshua! I’m sorry to tell you that’s a scammer that is contacting you, NOT the real Danielle Lam from our Prize Patrol. 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. Have a great day, and stay safe!
I have the info for one of these cons.
Hi Whittney! Please report all contacts from scammers to PCH via this link: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. PCH does partner with the Federal Trade Commission and we send all scam reports to them so please make sure you let us know anytime a scammer contacts you. Remember, the real PCH never notifies major prize winners via phone, standard mail, email, or social media, and we never ask winners to pay to claim their prize. You can see more Safety Tips here: https://bit.ly/FraudProtection2. Please be careful everyone; don’t become a scammer’s victim.
I know you can not help me but I lost $21,000.00 dollars before I read about Jamaica. You all do not work with them. Also he wants me to pay taxes on the money and two a truck and a car. I am from Wisconsin so do I have pay taxes before I get my winnings? Can you look up your employee, his name is David Cooper and Melinda Brown. Thank you.
Hi James, I’m sorry to tell you that was a scammer, NOT the real PCH. 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 received a message stating I won 3.5 million and a vehicle. I called them and they wanted me to pay 500.00 dollars. Not to PCH but to the government. The guy who said his name was Bobby L$$ batch #$$$$$, said I had to pay this and he even so-called the government he said, to see if I could pay less… even went so far to give me a serial # and a batch code #… Even the name of the lawyer who would come… but I had to go to a Walgreens or dollar store first while on the phone with him, to pay…
When I started asking questions, and told him I looked up that PCH never calls or asks for money, he got real angry and got off the phone. The number left for me to call was $$$-$$$-$$$$.
Hi Donna! Please be careful, 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. 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. Have a great day, and stay safe!
My name is Donald and I live in Stone Mountain GA. I received a message on my phone claiming to be from you and readers digest, informing me that I’ve won 3.5 million and a 2023 ford vehicle, as well as 5 thousand a week for life. I have tried calling for over a week and all I got was busy tone. If this is true please deliver as soon as possible, vehicle in gray. If not, please message me back.
Hello Donald. That is definitely a scammer. Please report all contacts from scammers to PCH via this link: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. PCH does partner with the Federal Trade Commission and we send all scam reports to them so please make sure you let us know anytime a scammer contacts you. Remember, the real PCH never notifies major prize winners via phone, standard mail, email, or social media, and we never ask winners to pay to claim their prize. You can see more Safety Tips here: https://bit.ly/FraudProtection2. Please be careful everyone; don’t become a scammer’s victim.