Important Reminder: Please Don’t Post Personal Information Online!
In this day and age, we all seem to be hooked up to the latest and greatest technology. And there is so much information out there on social media and the internet, and at such a fast pace, that it’s easy to get distracted — and to trust a site that maybe shouldn’t be trusted!
That’s why at PCH we always try to keep you posted with reminders about how to keep safe and enjoy all that the internet has to offer. That includes this important warning: NEVER post personal information online that can fall into the hands of a scammer! Scammers out there will use any means available: mail, telephone, email, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, to reach unsuspecting fans of PCH. They are intent on deceiving you into thinking they are the real Publishers Clearing House and that you have won a Sweepstakes prize. Don’t take the “bait”! Publishers Clearing House will NEVER contact you by phone, mail or the internet to tell you that you’ve won a major prize. The real Prize Patrol arrives IN PERSON, at your door when you win a major prize, and they keep it a secret. Otherwise the exciting winning moment wouldn’t be a big surprise!
What You Can Do So You Won’t Fall Victim To Online Scammers
The good news is that there are steps you can take to help prevent scammers from “reeling you in” by telling you that you’ve won a prize, but that in order to claim it, you must first pay a “fee”. Posting any kind of personal information online makes it super easy for scammers to contact you, so the best way to avoid being “taken” in is to not give them any “bait” to go after.
Never post your address, a friend or family member’s address, or even a work address on any blog (including this one!), social media site, etc.
Never post your telephone number. We all know that telephone scams are on the rise and this just makes it that much easier for scammers to reach out to you.
Never, ever post your Social Security Number! You would not want your Social Security Number to fall into the wrong hands — EVER.
Never post your birthday — scammers out there are just waiting to reach out and “surprise” you with a “big prize” for your birthday!
Never post personal information about your kids – like their names or ages or where they go to school.
Never post your SuperPrize Number or I.D. Number from a PCH Mailing. Scammers might contact you and fraudulently tell you that your number is the matching winning number for a certain Giveaway in the PCH Sweeps and that you’ve won a big prize! PCH’s contest drawings are random and posting any of your numbers will NOT give you an advantage to win!
For more fraud prevention information and tips, please visit our Fraud Protection page. We love to hear from our fans and we want all of you to have fun online, but our priority is to keep you safe while you’re at it! If you think you’ve received a suspicious call, email, letter or social media message claiming to be from PCH, please report it online using our Scam Incident Report.
Be sure to protect your personal information online and stay safe out there!
Jane M.
PCH Creative
