Beware of Prize Patrol Imitators!
There’s an old saying that “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”
I suppose, then, that we should be flattered — that a well-known celebrity has based a new TV show on the idea of surprising people on their doorsteps with big cash prizes. Similarly, a major car manufacturer has recently run a TV ad that ranks the purchase of the advertised car right up there with the excitement of a knock on the door by a blue-blazered presenter carrying a big cardboard check.
Well, they are right: such surprises are exciting. We know firsthand that when our PCH Prize Patrol arrives unannounced at a sweepstakes entrant’s door with roses, balloons and a Big Check worth thousands or millions of dollars it’s a dream come true. “You are a winner in the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes” we announce, and shocked winners get weak in the knees, and cry, and praise the Lord, and dance for joy, and display all kinds of wonderful, grateful reactions.
Unfortunately, there are some scam artists out there who take this powerful idea to criminal lengths. Among their most deceptive tactics is a high-pressure phone call (often using a recognizable PCH name like mine) telling the receiver that he or she has won a breathtakingly huge amount of money. And then to collect the prize a fee must immediately be sent to the caller — to “pre-pay taxes” or cover administrative costs or some made-up reason. Some other scammers use social media like Facebook to snare victims into their unlawful schemes. Others send “PCH” postcards from “PCH executives” telling recipients they’ve won a huge prize (like a new house) and imply that a simple phone call will complete the winning process.
Don’t be fooled. If YOU win a prize from the real Publishers Clearing House, there will be “no strings attached.” At PCH the winning is always absolutely free! There will be no fees or pre-payment of taxes. No purchase is required to enter or win one of our prizes.
So PLEASE remember these important points:
- If you win a PCH SuperPrize, you’ll know it when the real Prize Patrol (recognizable from TV) knocks on your doorwith roses, balloons and a Big Check — with your name on it.
- Publishers Clearing House will NEVER ask you for any money to claim a prize.
- Publishers Clearing House will NEVER ask you to call a phone number to claim your prize.
Wishing you all the best.
Dave Sayer
PCH Prize Patrol Ambassador
