How do I report a scam?

Table Of Content

• Try Aura—14 Days Free
• Tip 4: Be Wary of E-mails Claiming You’ve Won – and Asking You to Send Money
• Beware of Fake Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Profiles
• Tip 9: If You Believe You’ve Been the Victim of a Fraudulent Contact…
• Tip 3: Be Suspicious of Callers Claiming You’ve Won – But Ask You to Send Money
• Publishers Clearing House on Social Media
• Sweepstakes ?

First they copy images and content from the PCH Prize Patrol official Facebook account. Then they use this content to target people who follow the PCH page — and inform targets that they’ve won. Eventually, the scammers ask for up-front payments, a portion of the winnings, or financial data. In reality, the “agent” is a scam artist who will try to convince you to give up personal data in exchange for your winnings. If you comply, the scammer will invent more obstacles that you need to clear before you can claim your prize  — such as sending money, information, or both.

Try Aura—14 Days Free

Again, it’s important that we stress you did not hear from the real Publishers Clearing House. PCH would never request you send money to claim a prize and we never notify major prize winners by phone or mail. If you receive a telephone call from someone claiming you have won a sweepstakes prize and are asked to send money — STOP — you have not heard from a legitimate sweepstakes company. At Publishers Clearing House we do not notify our contest winners by phone. How do you know if a profile is the real Publishers Clearing House or a scam?

Tip 4: Be Wary of E-mails Claiming You’ve Won – and Asking You to Send Money

We’re happy to provide the phone numbers you’ll need to call one of our Customer Service representatives or the mailing address to write to us, or even how to e-mail us. “I just wanted to let you know that and if you could report it, that they are scamming people," Tayna said. That can help them hunt the scammers down and prosecute them, although it’s difficult to do. “These guys, the scam artists, are pretty sophisticated, they try to say all the right things,” Irving said. The folks at PCH headquarters in New York were more than happy to see a recent story in which the Problem Solvers warned how easy it is to fall victim.

Beware of Fake Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Profiles

So, if you get contacted by someone who says you won, it’s probably a scam. The PCH check scam works by convincing victims to cash a fake check and transfer a portion of the proceeds back to the scammers. The Publishers Clearing House scam  is a type of sweepstakes scam in which fraudsters impersonate company representatives and claim you’ve won a prize. Publishers Clearing House works diligently to fight scams, both by working with law enforcement officials and through public education. Scammers extort money from you in exchange for a promise of a prize that never materializes. The truth is you never, ever have to pay to receive a sweepstakes prize from Publishers Clearing House or any other company.

But a legitimate-looking win notification isn't enough of a reason to believe you're a big winner. Logos can be copied, names of legitimate PCH employees can be found on Google, signatures can be forged... You need to be familiar with the real signs of a PCH prize win. Winning sweepstakes often feels too good to be true — and sometimes, it is. Big-name sweepstakes sponsors like PCH are a prime target for scammers, who style win notifications to match the branding of the company they're impersonating. Publishers Clearing House cares about consumers and realizes that from time to time there may be a need to provide more detailed help to individuals who have questions or concerns.

Remember, PCH never calls customers nor winners to tell them they have won. Click on this link and you’ll find all of the different ways to contact us, either by mail, phone or e-mail. And there are separate e-mail links to click on, depending on whether your question or concern is related to PCHSearch&Win, PCHGames, PCHLotto, and more.

Tips and Warning Signs

Tanya’s brother was told the money was needed to pay to have the prize delivered and to pay taxes. No one can prevent all identity theft or monitor all transactions effectively. Further, any testimonials on this website reflect experiences that are personal to those particular users, and may not necessarily be representative of all users of our products and/or services.

It is calculated using the information contained in your Equifax credit file. Lenders use many different credit scoring systems, and the score you receive with Aura is not the same score used by lenders to evaluate your credit. Everyone would love to pick up the phone and hear that they’ve won millions of dollars. But don’t let your desire for a life of luxury and riches make you a vulnerable target for scammers.

They never award prizes over the phone, on social media, in email, or through the mail. If you are asked to provide your credit card number or provide your financial bank account information in order to claim a sweepstakes prize — STOP. Fraudulent scam artists often request this information and then go on a spending spree with your credit card; or wipe out your bank account. At PCH the winning is always free and you NEVER have to pay to claim a prize. If you receive an email, phone call, email or letter from Publishers Clearing House saying that you're a big winner, it's easy to get so excited that you do or agree to things that make you vulnerable to money and identity theft. That's why it's important to be able to tell the difference between a legitimate prize win and a sweepstakes scam.

Publishers Clearing House scammers strike again targeting elderly, warns San Ramon PD - Local News Matters

Publishers Clearing House scammers strike again targeting elderly, warns San Ramon PD.

Posted: Thu, 29 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

You can also follow these steps to report a scam directly to Publishers Clearing House. You may have to fill out an affidavit to verify eligibility if you win, but not when you enter. If the entry form asks for this kind of personal information, it's a sign you are on a spoofed website.

Publishers Clearing House wants to warn you about scam artists sending out real looking checks in an attempt to get you to send money! Scam artists send you an official looking letter claiming to award you a sweepstakes prize. The letter may illegally use the name of a well known company like Publishers Clearing House or a sound alike name in an attempt to build trust. (These offers are not affiliated in any way with Publishers Clearing House!) The letter encloses a real looking check that may appear legitimate. If you receive a check claiming to be for a legitimate sweepstakes prize and are asked to cash it and wire or send a portion back — STOP — you are the victim of a fraudulent contact.

We continue to evolve as a multi-channel media company that combines digital entertainment and direct-to-consumer marketing and commerce, creating an attractive destination for consumers, marketers, and retailers alike. So, PCH and the Federal Trade Commission try to educate folks about sweepstake scams that devastate the lives of victims.If you hear from scammers or fall victim, PCH said to contact them and local law enforcement. Her brother sent a gift card to scammers who claimed he won the PCH million-dollar sweepstakes. One major red flag the BBB says you should notice, if you didn’t enter a sweepstakes then you’re likely not eligible to win.

Publishers Clearing House was founded in 1953 by Harold and LuEsther Mertz and their daughter, Joyce Mertz-Gilmore. From their garage, mailings were created offering consumers an unprecedented array of discounted magazine subscription offers. In 1967 the company launched a sweepstakes to draw attention to its magazine deals and a chance to win money has been a part of the PCH promotional mix ever since. In 1999 PCH launched pch.com, and in recent years, a family of online free-to-play, chance-to-win properties and mobile apps have been developed in support of the brand identity that “It's All About Winning” at Publishers Clearing House.

PCH would never request that you send money to claim a prize and we never notify major prize winners by phone or email. The information you provide is entered into our PCH Scam database which we share with the Federal Trade Commission. Their database is then shared with law enforcement authorities around the country. If you receive an e-mail notifying you that you have won a major sweepstakes prize, but are asked to provide personal financial information, or send money — STOP -– you have most likely been contacted by a fraudulent sweepstakes scam operator. At Publishers Clearing House we do not notify major prize winners by e-mail.

PCH offers a live chat option, which lets you connect to a customer service representative during business hours. Use this option to voice a complaint, get immediate answers to your questions, and more. Publishers Clearing House wants to warn you about scam artists pretending to be the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol or other PCH employees on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The victim is instructed to deposit the check in their account and immediately return most of it to the claims manager to cover taxes and fees. You get a letter telling you that you just won millions of dollars, along with a large check to help you pay taxes and fees.

Even if you’re not asked to pay upfront, there are other red flags to look out for when dealing with a fake PCH award. Thankfully, a number of people came to the rescue and told the user to stop communicating with the scammers. The user later appeared to confirm getting out of the situation ok. To learn more about how to stay safe and protect yourself from fraudulent scammers, please click here. Reporting a sweepstakes imposter scam to Publishers Clearing House is easy. To report a scam, please click here to fill out a Scam Incident Report.