Accessibility Statement

Facebook Scams: Friend or Faux?

Facebook can be a wonderful place for folks like you and me to connect with friends, family and certain businesses we enjoy interacting with.  However,  like most great inventions and tools, it can be misused by people in a fraudulent attempt to deceive.  At  Publishers Clearing House,  officials have noticed a couple of “fake’ Facebook Fan Pages fraudulently created for the sole purpose of misleading PCH Fans

This is how the scam often works:

A scammer creates a “fake” PCH Fan Page in the hopes that people will “like” it.  When that occurs, the scammer will then contact the PCH Fan and ‘falsely” inform them that they have won a PCH sweepstakes prize, with one very deceitful twist – – the consumer will be asked to send or wire money, or some type of financial payment  in order to collect the “bogus” prize.

Here is some important information to help keep you protected….

1. You NEVER have to pay money to enter or receive a prize from Publishers Clearing House. It’s just that simple. If anyone says they are from Publishers Clearing House and they are asking for any type of payment so that you can receive a prize, you have not heard from the real PCH!

2. Publishers Clearing House will NEVER contact a prize winner via Facebook. If you are ever lucky enough to win a prize of $10,000.00 or more, the Prize Patrol will knock on your door and surprise you with a “Big Check.”  Should you win a prize valued under $10,000, Publishers Clearing House will notify you via certified mail that you are a winner.   And, you will NEVER be asked to make any type of payment for that prize award!  That’s the law!

How to Tell If A PCH Fan Page Is Legitimate!

The only legitimate PCH Fan Pages are the pages that are “LIKED” by Publishers Clearing House. Here’s a listing of official PCH Fan Pages that you can visit with complete confidence:

Remember: Being A PCH Facebook Fan Can Be Very Rewarding!

When you are a fan of any authorized  PCH Fan Pages you get to connect with other fans in addition to staying on top of the latest PCH happenings. When you “LIKE” us you’ll get insider “WINNING MOMENT” information and special contest opportunities.  Just make sure you don’t “FAUX-GET” these important tips – – and make certain you are dealing with the real PCH Fan Pages!  

Sincerely,

Elliott M.

PCH Creative

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Comments

  1. I was contacted by a man named Peter Church. He claims he has worked for you 25 years and that I won 5 million dollars and a ford truck. He made me promise to keep this confidential and wanted me to put $50 in and open. new checking account as he went on. I figured it must be a scam. Have you had any other people report to you about this?

    1. Hello Patrice, We’re so happy that you knew that wasn’t the real PCH who contacted you. We will never ask for money to claim a prize. We also don’t notify winners via phone, standard mail, email, or social media. Please report all scam contacts to PCH via this link: http://bit.ly/Report-Scam-To-PCH. We encourage everyone to review the following Safety Tips to better protect themselves from being scammed: https://bit.ly/FraudProtection2

  2. I got a phone call this morning from Janet S$$$$$$$, $$$-$$$-$$$$. She said the Prize Patrol was in Utah, and I had to run to CVS and get A Money PAC card for $1000 and give it to the Prize Patrol when they arrived this morning. Is there a way you can stop this? I Am an older man and I could have had a heart attack when I heard the news.

    1. Hi Kenneth, we’re really sorry to hear the scammers are bothering you. 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://info.pch.com/fraud-protection. Stay safe!

  3. Thank you so much for having this detailed information. I have had several people on Facebook as well as in the mail and on the phone trying to scam me and being 70 years old, they seem to think it’s an easy thing to do and you’ve put blockers in front of them. Thank you again, have a blessed day.

  4. Thanks for the tips and a refresher course on being contacted by PCH for ‘winning’ a big prize package. I was just contacted by a Jonathan Myers on Facebook, that I had won ($1 million, $5K a week, along with a truck) and saying he was the new Gen. Mngr. Then asked for $500 to pay the shipping cost on my winnings. Asked what documentation he could send, he said “None”, “I’m the G.M.!”, then turned intimidating and asking if I had the shipping fee or not. End of contact!

    1. Hi Michael! That is definitely a scammer who contacted you! PCH will never send friend requests, private messages, or winner notifications via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc; 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. Please be careful everyone; don’t become a scammer’s victim!

    1. Hi Cecil! 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.