Make smart shopping decisions, know your rights, and solve problems when you shop or donate to charity. We have links to help you avoid becoming a victim of a scam! Never deposit a check and send back money, even if the funds appear in your account. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes Scam is back. How do I spot Publishers Clearing House scams? 0000029796 00000 n But you can tell it's a scam because of what they do next: they ask you. Customer they ever had and due to that they were Giving me a $2,000,000,00 Check and $10,000 a week for life!!!!! Moreover, they will collect your personal data so they can do identity theft (here is how to delete your private data from the Internet). Heres how to recognize signs of financial fraud and protect your money from scammers. 4 ways Publishers Clearing House scams contact victims! _6zJe_9tSYVfVYbArnfJ#5QM'l)_'$Qr7=WVY-K,epbNHI9`p'T,)qPG;rps=u{p >$A+(h ti#e6.#z.gbN0%b-MH;h1ki,%4!h%}-(B%*!o]U The check is drawn off of an account from Jonathan & Associates CHB Services, Inc. in Compton, CA. You never would have to make any purchases to claim a prize and purchasing will not increase your chances of winning. Only PCH is authorized to notify you of a win from a PCH giveaway. Publishers Clearing House does not email or call with a list of PCH winners. LOL! They send a check over to you and ask you to send a small amount back to them due to an error. We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. To call us, please call us at 1-800-566-4724. I would also have to show my drivers license. If you do, you must create a user name, or we will not post your comment. first time home buyer programs Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions. What was his last name because the pch guy that called me his first name was David, just got off the phone with david anderson, I was told by PCH that I had won $600 a week for life. Well nobody ever arrived at his house and he surely did not get $7,000 a week for life. We do not ask for bank account information. At Publishers Clearing House we care about consumers and we want you to stay protected from imposter SCAMMERS fraudulently pretending to be associated with our well-recognized Publishers Clearing House name! LOL I have had these calls before but with other things & never call their number but the actual place. If you win a sweepstakes prize from Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes or any other similar legitimate company, you will never need to pay. debt 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. If Publishers Clearing House Calls You, it's a Scam On July 21, the Federal Trade Commission released a statement outlining a new scam involving Publishers Clearing House. You may cancel your membership online and request a refund within 60 days of your initial purchase date of an eligible Aura membership purchase by calling us at 1-855-712-0021. PCH's Guide to Avoid and Protect Yourself Against Scammers We wont post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions. !..Nice try doucheyou still need to practice moreLOL! I pray their eyes are opened to how much hurt they cause. i just won 2.5 mill. PCH has marketed merchandise and magazine subscriptions to American households since 1967 and has given away more than half a billion dollars since it was founded., The company awards between $3 million and $13 million to Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes participants every year [*]. The 1st Phone number was stated to be for Mr. Dave Sayer and the second number was for Mr. Todd Sloane, I know that the 702 number is a Nevada phone number, but the 888 number could be any where. Today I received an OFFICIAL NOTICE by mail from PCH with their postage stamp U.S. 1. So, Ill wait till Dave, Howie, or Daniel knock on.my door with balloons, and flowers!.! Some will send you a realistic-looking fake check in the mail. Never send money to collect a prize, sweepstakes check, or lottery winnings. WE WERE NOT TO TELL ANYONE UNTIL WE HAD PAID THE MONEY TO INSURE BEFORE WE WOULD GET IT. Unfortunately, by then the scammers have their funds and are long gone. Received a call this AMsaid I won Publishers Clearing House $15,000,000!!! A magnifying glass. It indicates, "Click to perform a search". mv. wu Heres an example of how a typical PCH scam plays out: 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., The bottom line is that Publishers Clearing House never requires winners to pay [*].. How To Identify (and Avoid) Publishers Clearing House Scams nor send them money. The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. benefits Medicaid It is so upsetting because my Dad entered all the time til he died and I have entered for over 25 years and nothing but false hope. An official website of the United States government. Usually scammers attempt to get funds by asking you to pay fees or by convincing you to cash a fake check that pulls money from your account. Publishers Clearing House / PCH.com - received a package I never ordered . For PCHgames, please click here. 0000045780 00000 n When I told the caller I could not go to Walgreens right then he asked why not and told me I needed to go and purchase the card now. Identity thieves are almost only ever after one thing: your money. Often Publishers Clearing House scams use fraudulent checks with mismatched banking and routing information. No account number. If youre a legitimate winner, you wont be subject to fees or charges before you can claim your prize. Publishers Clearing House scam still regularly targeting victims Updated: 6:55 PM EST Jan 25, 2022 Brian Roche Anchor Show Transcript In the past few days, WGAL viewers have been reaching. homeless The company name she gave was American Claims Investigation. Only PCH is authorized to notify you of a win from a PCH giveaway. Obviously a scam but the emails had a legitimate address. Well story short, I just trick him saying that I am out right now but can be home laterbut when I asked him if he is trying to scam me , he raised his voice and hang me up!! Publishers Clearing House, a limited liability company founded in 1953, is a leading direct-to-consumer company offering a unique blend of curated multi-channel shopping and free-to-play, chance-to-win digital entertainment across a network of web and app-based entertainment properties. It seems like scammers are targeting in new ways every day! I tried contacting them several times, but whenJanet Hall For information from legitimate Publishers Clearing House social media profiles ensure they have the verified symbol next to their name. Learn more about our editorial and advertising policies. How to avoid Publishers Clearing House scams, How to contact the Publishers Clearing House directly. Publishers Clearing House 101 Winners Circle Jericho, NY 11753 To call us, please call us at 1-800-566-4724. The scammers told the potential victims that all they needed to do to was pay taxes and perhaps other fees in order to wire the huge cash prizes to their bank accounts: At least one Twitter user tweeted about being duped by the Publishers Clearing House phone scam, calling it a "nightmare": Thankfully, a number of people came to the rescue and told the user to stop communicating with the scammers. You're a winner! Not really Publishers Clearing House scam is back He sent a letter with a package claim # and prize listing # and said I needed to give them $8,640.00. His name was James Carter who supposedly worked for PCH & I had won $1,550,000 with a brand new white Mercedes Benz. Recent Winners! I've been in PCH since 1999. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. There is no processing fee, tax or special handling charge required to win and our prizes are delivered free of charge to the winners. free museum days Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes are free to enter, require no purchases, and require no payments or fees to receive prizes. I had a hard time trying to understand the man who made the call as he gave me these phone numbers. PCH PROPERTIES Pch.com PCH Search & Win PCH Lotto PCH Keno PCH FrontPage PCH Slots PCH Games PCH MEDIA Learn More About Advertising with PCH on PCH MEDIA . The Publishers Clearing House does not notify winners via phone. For PCHApps, please click here. Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes - Scam Detector 1/200. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to. For PCHlotto, please click here. If you are asked to enter any personal information, you can be sure that it is a scam. Jordan Liles is a Snopes reporter with expertise in investigating misinformation, inauthentic social media activity, and scams. The Publishers Clearing House Company is legit, but many scammers use this name. Ive received this stuff for years and was stupid back In those days I would get so excited that I won something but it was actually nothing I would cry a lot cause I could really use the money I supposed have won thank you for listening. 04. of 13. This is because they know bank personnel will see the scam for what it is. Most Reported. Is it a scam? help 0000003313 00000 n Please refer to the actual policies for terms conditions and exclusions of coverage. college How To Report A PCH Scammer - PCH Blog home repair Domain age, Alexa rank, HTTPS valid, Blacklisting, SSL certificates, Source code, Location, IP address, WOT Trustworthiness, Spam reports, Advanced technology, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, Contact options. God Bless and Good luck PCH family. but the money was given in a money gram. Do not call any telephone number or contact any email address that is included within your notice. When you enter into a contest like the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes, they will never ask you to submit information like your bank account number, license number, or address. The FTC and its law enforcement partners announced actions against several income scams that conned people out of hundreds of millions of dollars by falsely telling them they could make a lot of money. As soon as he said the call was 100 legitimate and told me that the IRS would be paying 95% of the taxes and I needed to pay 5%, I invited him to give my PRIZE to the next person as I was not interested and that I would be reporting them. For more information on how the FTC handles information that we collect, please read our privacy policy. Should I start spending the $500,000? While Publishers Clearing House has been a reputable company for nearly 70 . All of a sudden he admitted the prize was not real and asked to be my FRIEND. We wont post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity. When I asked her for a callback number, she gave me an 888number, which turned out to be Publishers Clearing House. Eventually, the scammers ask for up-front payments, a portion of the winnings, or financial data. [[5z#|5.s3 +J.2je)z=QE79rT,jVXR{P. For PCHApps, please click here. They may even impersonate PCH executives like Deborah Holland., Related: The Worst Social Media Scams of 2023 (and How To Avoid Them) , Everyone would love to pick up the phone and hear that theyve won millions of dollars. You should be on guard to begin with if you have not entered a sweepstakes. So we started asking him questions, like where they were located, their address and was told he would transfer us to a Senior Attorney to answer all our questions. Call 1-877-3SWEEPS (1 . For more tips on how to avoid Publishers Clearing House scams, visit the Contest Integrity section of the PCH website, PCH.com. How do I contact Publishers Clearing House? The prizes offered by the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes range from $1 Amazon gift cards to $10 million. There are never any strings attached to winning a Publishers Clearing House prize. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. If any of these situations applies to you, please click here to fill out a Scam Incident ReportOr Chat with us nowbyclicking here. The FTC and its law enforcement partners announced actions against several income scams that conned people out of hundreds of millions of dollars by falsely telling them they could make a lot of money. You get a call from someone who says they're from Publishers Clearing House or some other well-known organization. WE PAID A TOTAL OF $ 47,400.00 AND HE WAS ASKING FOR $90,000.00 WHICH WE DID NOT HAVE. I just gave a gift card to someone at that is a scam - The man that just called me David Anderson code #145dw Publishers Clearinf House-Check the vanilla gift card #4116 1006 16858774 in the amount of $100.00. Are you just about to make a purchase online? To file a detailed report about a scam, go to. They show up at your door. `+h,&"]qsy`+0uy/Lp Here are descriptions of the latest Publishers Clearing House scams and what you can do to avoid them: The PCH check scam works by convincing victims to cash a fake check and transfer a portion of the proceeds back to the scammers.. All Publishers Clearing House prizes are awarded in person, as this user knew when receiving a scam call: On top of the fact that all prizes are awarded in person, Publishers Clearing House does not ask that any taxes or other kinds of fees be paid up front for wiring the money or for any other reason. Getting calls that I won PCH SWEEPS. 0000020830 00000 n The Publishers Clearing House is actually a marketing company that was founded in 1953 selling magazine subscriptions. "You've won! Now pay us" is always a scam. | Consumer Advice school supplies children They will never request any kind of fee to claim the prize. HWn7W>L,nc,+#9A`@-A{Ev,vn&E N_o_f:}tI`FN\{7({w.9xjK (o'/wuE9-|A\y'|Fgq@k/v;X X^{;y=2Q>'g#|S5Q<4w:Pk&7yPfBVh4v':|@ LgX1lAt^6~0+z:Lb8+4|$aq@bPy>#'?00ug#x.Gi.2tG__qNyfFTDO(&Q^!x]"Hq_xh?Nw-Mi 6+D9_O8}NZ+Wr Tj(-*iIG3 #MA65!67tHYk]K:n up{S;B%R 0000045558 00000 n No matter whether a scammer has contacted you by phone, by postal mail, by email or by social media (such as Facebook), we strongly encourage you to fill out the online PCH scam form. It is the most common type of fraud going around telling people that they have won a large sum of money at the lottery. Learn about getting and using credit, borrowing money, and managing debt. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal government site. An official website of the United States government. Looking for alternatives for your holiday shopping? Each call received by Publishers Clearing House is answered by a recorded greeting that includes a reminder that the "winning is always free." For those who would like to hear more, a prompt is provided that offers callers additional educational information and warnings regarding bogus offers that may request payment to claim a prize. And letters, Ive Won (fill in the number) $$$$. When will I receive my PCH order/how do I track my package? The user later appeared to confirm getting out of the situation ok. They then ask for money before they can claim their winnings. I hope today finds you well! So, here it is December 18th and I got up early and got prepared for them to be here at 9AM and now it is 11AM and one has come. state parks Then, youll receive periodic messages and emails. 12 Warning Signs of Sweepstakes Scams - LiveAbout Heres how it works Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC. Limited offer! Child members on the family plan will only have access to online account monitoring and social security number monitoring features. But to collect your prize, they say, you need to send money to pay for fees and taxes. After sending you a fake check in the mail, scammers then ask you to pay for lawyers fees or insurance. When the bank discovers that the check is fake, it will withdraw the amount from your account. Who won the February 28, 2023 Superprize of $5,000 A Week Forever? Publishers Clearing House notifies winners of our big SuperPrize awards by sending the Prize Patrol to surprise them in person! I have been here two weeks. Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes scams. 9179984095 / +1-917-998-4095 Brooklyn, New York What to know when you're looking for a job or more education, or considering a money-making opportunity or investment. PCH even has a scam hotline that you can call. Youve probably heard: this holiday season, it might be harder to find the gifts youre looking for. 5. The scam starts with a call or letter saying you've won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. I'm tired of the scammers convincing me that I've been approved for a loan and that Im just verifying my address and needing my bank account and routing numbers to make a direct deposit for the amount of the loan, etc.. than they automatically send you to another "LENDING"company, and that one takes all the same info and sends u to another "LENDER ".. and you never to get directed to a real "LOAN" company and for every Lender you fill out all your personal information, your also giving permission for telemarketers to continually call and text your phone and advertisers sending u mail.theres supposed to be a law against false advertising Publishers ClearingHouse has long been tapped as scammers from years back. Major prize winners are never contacted in advance. In order to claim the prize, you need to send money to the organization to pay for processing fees or other charges. But thats not the only way scammers get your money with this scam. 0000034280 00000 n TO claim the prize I was told to go to a Walgreens and purchase a $500.00 gift card, a one vanilla gift card. They said that that is a certified prize that is approved by Trade Commission and that prize patrol has been suspended due to COVID-19. CLICK, I hung up. 876 area code - Loginma.com If you receive a Publishers Clearing House phone call, email, or letter in your mailbox saying that you have won a prize, you can be sure that it is a scam. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. How are PCH winners notified? Letter was signed by Vice President, Susan Williamson. Thats what con artists are counting on when they claim to be Publishers Clearing House. Prizes are awarded within eight weeks of final winner selection. 0000226768 00000 n Good luck, PC H customers, and players!.! Legitimate winning notifications are also never sent via Facebook and any other social media platforms! Even sent a fancy PCH Winner certificate which I saved for you. They are also well known for their Win $5,000 a Week for Life prize advertisements. PCH OFFICE LOCATION New York - Long Island 300 Jericho Quadrangle, Suite 300 . The catch is that these Publishers Clearing House scams use counterfeit or stolen checks, but when you wire the fees to them (usually via Western Union or Money Gram), those come out of your account that you deposited the funds to. Verify your win. How do I contact Publishers Clearing House? - pch.custhelp.com The authentic Publishers Clearing House Company will never state any such information to anyone. This trick is an oldie but goodie for scammers. So I promptly selected the Delete and Report Junk on my phone and got rid of the scammer's message. So he asked my husband and I to get on speaker phone to hear everything and then he hung up. For General Questions (Billing, Order Concerns and Sweepstakes Inquiries) call: 1-800-459-4724 For Sweepstakes Scams misusing the Publishers Clearing House name call: 1-800-392-4190 For Website/Technical issues call: 1-800-476-4724 To contact us by mail: Write to us at the following address: Publishers Clearing House 300 Jericho Quadrangle #300 Your bank will then typically discover the check is not valid and you may be charged penalties and possibly even face legal issues for a felony deposit of a fraudulent check. The Publishers Clearing House only uses their Prize Patrol to notify major award winners. If you complete a purchase using one of our links, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. 0000029446 00000 n If theres one constant among scammers, its that theyre always coming up with new schemes, like the Google Voice verification scam. I get a call from 3234730677. 0000019987 00000 n If you receive a Publishers Clearing House phone call, email, or letter in your mailbox saying that you have won a prize, you can be sure that it is a scam. All she needs is to verify my info. Then they use this content to target people who follow the PCH page and inform targets that theyve won. If you feel that people are trying to tell you to keep such secrets, there is more to it. They advertise that when they receive the fees portion, they will release your larger prize. Instead, it is always, Dear Winner.. 0000005393 00000 n Mega Millions Lottery Scam Targets Consumers by Phone, Text, and Email The scammers are trying to push you into a heightened emotional state, to knock you off balance just long enough to steal your money and personal information. DO NOT BELEIVE THESE PEOPLE!!!! The Publishers Clearing House is also known for their charitable giving donating over $1 million to programs like the ASPCA, Saint Judes Research Hospital, and more! The Federal Trade Commission Act authorizes this information collection for purposes of managing online comments. I received several calls from someone who claimed his name is Roger Alston at 775-766-9942.