The Real Prize Patrol Doesn’t Send Friend Requests
Greetings, fans and friends,
Imagine this: You’re on Facebook, catching up with your “besties”, maybe watching the latest episode of Inside PCH …when you notice that you have a friend request that appears to be from the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol. Or maybe you’ve received a private message from what appears to be Danielle Lam, or maybe Dave Sayer. At first, you might say to yourself, “Oooh, wow! Maybe I’ve won something at last!” But then you wonder: Hmmm, could this be real?
Well, let me tell you the truth: The real PCH Prize Patrol does NOT send friend requests or private messages on Facebook. If you do receive a friend request or a private message from someone claiming to be from PCH, please ignore it! This is an impostor scam, for sure!
In fact, the real Prize Patrol does not send friend requests on any form of social media! Scammers know how to make their friend requests look real – often using photos of real PCH Prize Patrol members. Any friend requests from PCH employees – whether they claim to be PCH Prize Patrol members, PCH executives or sweepstakes administrators – that you may receive are 100% FAKE!
Here at PCH, we work hard to ensure that our friends and fans stay safe and have fun. We do all we can to earn and maintain your trust every day. And that is why we constantly remind you not to accept friend requests from fraudulent individuals claiming to be PCH Prize Patrol members or PCH employees.
So, what can you do if you receive a friend request from a scammer posing to be from Publishers Clearing House?
Follow these simple steps:
- Assure yourself that no matter how real it may look, this so-called “friend request” is NOT from the real PCH Prize Patrol or from any real PCH employee.
- Do not hesitate to deny the request!
- Report the scam ASAP, using our special online form.
As a bonus tip, look for verified pages when you follow PCH on social media – that is, be sure to only interact with those PCH social media pages that have the verified blue check mark.
Remember, the PCH Prize Patrol loves to interact with fans and friends like you by posting content on social media about all the fun and fabulous things going on at PCH … but the real PCH Prize Patrol will NEVER send friend requests or private messages on Facebook!
Got it? Good! And feel free to share this blog post with your friends and family!
Stay safe!
Debbie K.
PCH Creative
PS. Do you have any advice on how to stay safe from PCH impostor scams? Or do you have a story of your own to tell about how you were contacted by a scammer claiming to be from PCH? Let us know in the comment section below! Remember, knowledge is power!
