Chief’s Column: Don’t fall victim to a Publisher’s Clearing House scam
We recently received a complaint from a resident who fell victim to a Publisher’s Clearing House (PCH) scam. I thought I would offer some safety tips provided by PCH to protect other citizens who may have received a phony notice stating that they won a prize but need to forward money in order to collect their winnings,
Here are six tips to help you spot a Publisher’s Clearing House scam:
1. PCH does not email or call its big winners – If you receive an email, a telephone call, or a bulk mail letter saying that you’ve won a big prize from PCH, it’s a scam. According to the PCH website: “All PCH prizes of $500 or greater are awarded by either certified or express letter or in person by our famous Prize Patrol at our option.” So, you know that if you receive a prize notification by any other method than certified mail or an in-person award, you are being scammed.
2. You never have to pay to receive a legitimate PCH win – 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.
3. Don’t give out confidential information when you enter – You don’t have to give Publishers Clearing House your address, bank account number, driver’s license number or any other confidential information when you first enter. You may have to fill out an affidavit to verify eligibility if you win, but not when you first enter or when you are first notified that you are a winner. If the entry form is asking for this kind of personal information, it’s a sign you are on a spoofed website.
4. A check does not mean you are a winner – Scammers sometimes make it appear that you’re not “really” paying for your prize by handing over a check and asking you to send back all or some of the money in cash. After all, they’re providing the funds, right? Wrong. Those checks aren’t legitimate and you will be left holding the bill.
5. Do your research before you respond – There are some steps that you can take to verify your prize winnings. Some of them include never, ever paying money to receive a prize and using Google to search for similar win notifications that have been reported to consumer organizations as scams. Before you respond to any notifications, take these steps to protect yourself.
6. You can always verify your wins with PCH directly – If you have checked the steps above and you’re still not sure if your win notice is legitimate, you can contact PCH directly to ask them to verify your prize. Do NOT use the telephone numbers or email addresses included in your win notice; scammers fake that information to trick their victims.
If you feel you have been the victim of a PCH scam, please use the following resources:
Grafton Police Department: 508-839-5343 or www.graftonpolice.com to file a report.
Publisher’s Clearing House: https://pch.custhelp.com/ Federal Trade Commission: https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#crnt&panel1-1 United States Postal Service: https://www.usps.com/help/welcome.htm Internet Crime Complaint Center (FBI): https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
