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For tips on spotting a scam yourself, check out How to Recognize PCH Scams. Sources of revenue for the company are digital advertising, search advertising and the sale of merchandise and magazines offered as bill-me later free credit, with 100% satisfaction guaranteed. “They’re calling, scamming,” Tanya from Tulsa told 2 News in that recent story. (read only if sent a check) We advise that you contact your bank to see if that check can be stopped. We update our Winners Circle regularly; more and more winners are added every day!
How To Quickly Spot a PCH Scam
Better Business Bureau warns people about Publisher's Clearing House scammers - KRIS 6 News Corpus Christi
Better Business Bureau warns people about Publisher's Clearing House scammers.
Posted: Wed, 17 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Some of those scams are sophisticated enough to make it difficult to tell if you've really won or not. However, be sure that you are following only official PCH accounts on social media. Fake Facebook page scams were such a problem for PCH that they shut down individual social media accounts for their Prize Patrol members. So do not try to contact Prize Patrol members directly through social media, and be very wary of any requests you get from accounts pretending to be from them. The company has awarded over $593 Million in prizes and has evolved to greatly expand its offerings to include many ways to win online and through social media and mobile access. PCH was a leading supporter and member of the Alliance for Consumer Fraud Awareness, a private-public initiative of the Postal Inspection Service.
Tulsan targeted by Publisher's Clearing House scam
If you use it, however, you transmit your information directly to scammers instead. But before you pick up the phone and dial us up, or contact us by mail, you should know that there is a huge amount of information about PCH available to you online. Your answer may be just a click away at our PCH Customer Service site. Here are answers to some of our most Frequently Asked Questions. Remember that making a purchase is NEVER required to enter a PCH giveaway and that purchases will in no way affect your chances of winning, so there's no reason to buy anything you don't want. Thank you, we want you to know that PCH partners with the Federal Trade Commission and the information we gather from you today will be shared with them which is then shared with law enforcement authorities around the country.
How To Identify (and Avoid) Publishers Clearing House Scams
Recently we've been hearing reports that scammers are accessing and using the names of our real PCH employees in their criminal attempts to deceive you. Names you've come to know and recognize such as Dave Sayer, Howie Guja and Danielle Lam — all real members of our famous PCH Prize Patrol. The letter also includes a check for $9,800 and instructions to call a claims manager at the provided phone number before depositing the check. They may even send you a check for partial payment and they may ask you to send part of it back. The BBB says Publishers Clearing House will never ask you to pay them money. FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - Imagine thinking you’ve won thousands, or even millions of dollars and you find out it’s fake.
Where do i view recent PCH winners ?
This scam starts with a phone call informing you that you’ve won a cash prize, a new car, or a vacation. In order to claim the prize, you need to send money to the organization to pay for processing fees or other charges. But the whole thing is a setup to get you to either send them money (or gift cards) or disclose enough sensitive information to enable them to steal your identity and empty your bank account.
The message that you have won a Walmart gift card is bogus and any mention of Publishers Clearing House, our employees, or the PCH Prize Patrol is fraudulent and being used without our permission or authorization. Consumers should not respond to these bogus text messages and should not share personal or private information which could lead to identity theft or credit card fraud. In many cases the Publishers Clearing House name or sound-alike name is illegally used. Using a variety of bogus representations including "prepayment of taxes," "refundable deposits," and "shipping &handling," scam artists perpetrating these frauds seek to have consumers forward money. In May 2022, Google and Twitter users were searching for answers after receiving phone calls from scammers who claimed to be affiliated with the Publishers Clearing House (PCH) sweepstakes. The reality here was that the company only notifies winners of their prizes by visiting them in person with their PCH Prize Patrol.
The mission of the Alliance has been to empower consumers to recognize and avoid consumer scams through public education and media programs. Members represent over 20 financial institutions, associations, consumer advocacy groups and businesses. At PCH we include a Sweepstakes Facts insert in every promotional offer we send. Be sure to read the Sweepstakes Facts, as well as our Official Rules.
Publishers Clearing House on Social Media
Consumers should always remember that at Publishers Clearing House no payment or fee is ever necessary to enter or claim a prize. Publishers Clearing House has recently been made aware of fraudulent text messages, which include a reference to the "Prize Patrol," being sent to mobile devices by scam artists. Recipients are told they have won a $1,000 Walmart gift card and are then asked to reply and visit a particular internet site where they will be asked to provide certain private and personal information. These sites are bogus and are in no way affiliated with Publishers Clearing House or our famous Prize Patrol.
How to Contact PCH by Phone, Email, and More
We appreciate your visit to the fraud protection section of our site and thank you for educating consumers about scam artists who oftentimes use our good name in attempts to deceive. Unfortunately, some well-intentioned coverage of this issue has resulted in headline and text copy that may be misread to indicate that the scam is from the real Publishers Clearing House. Headlines like "Publishers Clearing House Scam", or "PCH Drawing — You May Be a Loser", or "Beware of the PCH Scam" can easily be interpreted as a representation against the real PCH. We please ask that all media reporting on these stories make it clear in headlines and text copy that the scam is being perpetuated by imposters and not the real Publishers Clearing House.
PCH was a founding corporate member of the National Public/Private Fake Check Task Force sponsored by the National Consumers League and Consumer Federation of America. Protect yourself from this scam by remembering you never have to pay money to get money you have supposedly won. The scam claiming you've won a lot of money is not a new one, but it has evolved to levels that still have viewers wondering if it's real. ¹ The score you receive with Aura is provided for educational purposes to help you understand your credit.
Everything from online PCH Sweepstakes entry processing and how to use your PCH tokens, to when you can expect your order delivered, how to become a PCHSuperFan, and how to manage your account. And if you don’t see a listing for your particular concern, you can always use the Search Feature at the top of the page to type in your question for the results you need. For more tips on how to avoid Publishers Clearing House scams, visit the Contest Integrity section of the PCH website, PCH.com. You don't have to give Publishers Clearing House your address, PCH account number, bank account number, driver's license number, or any other confidential information when you enter. So if you receive notification of a big prize by any method other than an in-person award, you know you're being scammed. If anyone tells you you've won a million bucks from PCH other than the Prize Patrol, you know you can ignore the message.
We hope you will take the time to read these valuable consumer education and protection messages that are intended to help you, the consumer, stay safe and protected from fraudulent scammers. If you’re a legitimate winner, you won’t be subject to fees or charges before you can claim your prize. If you’re asked to pay anything to claim your winnings, you’re dealing with a PCH scam. In some versions of this increasingly popular scam, victims are asked to send their Social Security number (SSN), bank account details, or other personal data — giving scammers everything needed to steal their victims’ identities. Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes are legit, but not every win notification from them is. Many scammers misuse the PCH name, pretending to come from the company when they really come from someone hoping to steal your money or your identity.
They are there to provide you with all the information you need to play safely! Don’t fall for ‘lookalike’ mailings that try to mislead consumers by imitating legitimate sweepstakes. If you prefer not to telephone PCH, you can send questions about potential scams by email to If you receive a scam email, you can forward it to PCH using this contact method, which helps them take action against the scammer.
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