Who wouldn’t love to be that winner you see on TV holding a great big sweepstakes check? That’s what con artists are counting on when they claim to be Publishers Clearing House. This trick is an oldie but goodie for scammers.
The scam starts with a call or letter saying you’ve won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. But to collect your prize, they say, you need to send money to pay for fees and taxes. Typically you’ll be asked to send money by Western Union or MoneyGram, or by getting a reloadable card or gift card. Scammers ask you to pay these ways because it’s nearly impossible to trace the money — and you’ll almost never get it back.
But that’s not the only way scammers get your money with this scam. Some will send you a realistic-looking fake check in the mail. You’re told that, to claim your prize, you need to deposit the check and send some of the money back for made-up expenses. But when the check you deposit bounces — even after it seemed to clear — you may be on the hook for the money you sent.
If you think you’ve won a prize, here are a few things to know:
- Never send money to collect a prize, sweepstakes check, or lottery winnings. If you have to pay, it’s a scam.
- Never deposit a check and send back money, even if the funds appear in your account. That’s a sure sign of a scam.
- If anyone calls asking you to pay for a prize, hang up and report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Want to know more? Read our article on Prize Scams. And, if you wired money to a prize scammer via Western Union between January 1, 2004 and January 19, 2017, you might be eligible for a refund.
Still think it’s real? The real Publishers Clearing House says it will never ask you to pay a fee to collect a prize. Check out Publishers Clearing House’s fraud protection page.
Note: The title was updated on April 25, 2018 to make clear that this blog post addresses scammers impersonating Publishers Clearing House.
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In reply to I received a recorded message by cat woman
If you give someone your personal information they can use it for identity theft. They can open credit cards, or make identity cards with your picture and their information.
In reply to One name appeared as an agent by Don't use your…
In reply to An acquaintance told me she by Dale
This sounds like a scam. When someone asks you to send money before you get money, that's the first sign of a scam. Asking you to pay with a wire transfer or gift card is another sign of a scam.
Don't transfer money or send a gift card to the scammers. You'll lose the money, and you won't get anything in return.
In reply to I have been told by a by andersont92
This sounds like a scam.
This is what Publishers Clearing House says about its prizes:
Only PCH is authorized to notify you of a win from a PCH giveaway. There are never any strings attached to winning a Publishers Clearing House prize. We do not ask for bank account information. There is no processing fee, tax or special handling charge required to win and our prizes are delivered free of charge to the winners.
Read more at pch.custhelp.com
When someone sends you a check, and says to withdraw money right away and send it to them or another person, that's a sign of a scam. By law, banks must give you some funds from a check you deposit within a few days, but it can take weeks to uncover a fake check. At first, it might seem like a check is good. But if you take money out right away, and the check later turns out to be fake, you will lose money. You must repay the bank all the money you withdrew.
In reply to My parents have been working by Brad Bardwell
If your parents sent the money by wire transfer, you can report it to the wire transfer companies: Call the Western Union Fraud Hotline at 800-448-1492 or the MoneyGram Customer Care Center at 1‑800‑926‑9400.
You could contact the state Attorney General in your parents' home state. If your parents used postal mail, they can report to the US Postal Inspection service.
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