Beware of Publishers Clearing House Scams!
Hello, Friends and Fans,
We at Publishers Clearing House want to bring all of you a very important message today – one that we cannot emphasize strongly enough. Please be aware that there are scammers out there claiming they represent Publishers Clearing House. Unfortunately, these scams are especially prevalent right now – when the real PCH is about to award one lucky individual a life-changing SuperPrize.
As much as we try to warn unsuspecting individuals about the difference between the real Publishers Clearing House Sweeps and an illegitimate scam, we too often learn about good, honest folks like you going through some unfortunate experiences. That is why we would like to alert you to 4 important warning signs to be aware of to help you spot the scammers and their deceitful tricks.
How to Spot Publishers Clearing House Scam
1. If someone contacts you claiming to be from PCH, and tells you that you’ve won a prize award – then asks you to send a payment or money card in order to claim the prize – STOP! You have not heard from the real PCH. IT’S A SCAM! At Publishers Clearing House the winning is always free and you NEVER have to pay to claim a prize award.
2. If you receive an email notifying you that you have won a major prize in the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes, DON’T BE FOOLED: IT’S A SCAM! Publishers Clearing House does NOT send e-mails notifying consumers that they have won a major prize. If you win a major prize in our sweepstakes (like our February 28th SuperPrize), you’ll know when the Prize Patrol shows up at your door with the Big Check.
3. If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House and are asked to send money, pay a fee or pre-pay taxes to enter, collect or claim a sweepstakes prize, DON’T BE FOOLED: IT’S A SCAM! You have not heard from the “real” Publishers Clearing House. The call you received was most likely from a fraudulent sweepstakes scam operation. Again, at Publishers Clearing House the winning is always free.
4. If someone from Publishers Clearing House sends you a friend request on Facebook, DON’T BE FOOLED: IT’S A SCAM! The Prize Patrol will NEVER send friend requests to you on Facebook. Moreover, the PCH Prize Patrol members (Danielle Lam, Dave Sayer, and Todd Sloane) never send private messages on Facebook. In addition, PCH does not notify its winners through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other social media website.
These are the ONLY legitimate Prize Patrol pages on Facebook:
Danielle Lam PCH Prize Patrol
Dave Sayer PCH Prize Patrol
Todd Sloane PCH Prize Patrol
For more PCH Facebook scam prevention tips, please watch this video from Prize Patrol member Danielle Lam.
If you feel you have been the victim of a Publishers Clearing House Scam, please report it immediately using our Scam Incident Report.
And don’t be embarrassed to report anything suspicious – the scammers have even tried to fool our own employees!
As always, you should always verify the information in any winner notification you may receive before making any risky moves. And if you ever have any questions, let us know! We’re more than happy to help!
Stay safe everyone, and good luck on February 28th, when we announce our next SuperPrize winner!
Debbie K.
PCH Creative
Other blogs you may like:
A Personal Example of a Publishers Clearing House Scam
Publishers Clearing House Scam Prevention Tips from Danielle Lam
