An official-looking letter -- posted Wednesday on the Hackettstown Police Department's Facebook page -- asks recipients to cash an enclosed check "to cover insurance and attorney fees." Publishers Clearing House says it is an attempt by scammers to get people to send them money, and that even banks may be fooled by the check, at least initially.
Full Answer
Feb 19, 2019 · The check is to cover insurance and attorney fees, but to contact a claims manager before depositing at her financial institution. The claims manager # is 1 365 833 1922 I know this is scam and wanted to make you aware of it.
May 21, 2012 · Use Google to search for similar win notifications that have been reported to consumer organizations by victims of scams. Check that the person sending the notice really works for PCH. Make sure you actually entered the giveaway you supposedly won. 6. Verify Your Wins With Publishers Clearing House Directly.
Jan 10, 2020 · Online safely is a concern for everyone and every company – and even more so with the emergence of social media. That’s why to stay safe, it’s so important that you know the facts. We want you to WIN BIG MONEY – not become a victim of a PCH-related scam! We can’t stress it enough: To avoid PCH scams, look for the Blue Check Mark!
It’s a SCAM. If you are sent a check, told it’s a partial prize award, and asked to cash it and send a portion back to claim the full prize award, DON’T. The check is fake, but the SCAM is real! Publishers Clearing House does not operate this way and …
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: "At PCH winners of our major prize awards are notified live and in person by our famous Prize Patrol .Nov 27, 2021
Publishers Clearing House (PCH) does NOT send e-mails notifying consumers that they have won a major prize. If you win a major prize in our sweepstakes, the PCH Prize Patrol will contact you in person.
If you have received any communication from PCH that you believe to be a scam, please call their toll free number 800-392-4190. To report any scam, please file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP.
UXBRIDGE — It's not every day that someone comes to your door to present you with a $15,000 check. But that's what happened to Lillian Trottier on Tuesday afternoon, as she was the winner of one of Publishers Clearing House's cash prize sweepstakes.Nov 10, 2021
Some Prize Notifications Arrive Immediately When you win instant sweepstakes, you'll find out right away if you've won a prize. Either a message will pop up on your screen letting you know you're a winner, or you'll receive an email or text message within a few minutes of entering.Nov 28, 2021
What's the Best Time to Contact PCH? Publishers Clearing House's headquarters are located on the east coast, in the state of New York. If you'd like to get a quick response by email, telephone, or live chat, contact them Mondays through Fridays between 8:30 am and 11 pm Eastern Time.Jan 28, 2022
(800) 459-4724Publishers Clearing House / Customer service
1-877-379-3377Contact us at 1-877-3SWEEPS (1-877-379-3377) or email us at pchconsumeraffairs@pch.com. These are just a few of the ways that PCH has become one of the most trusted and consumer friendly companies in the industry!
Jericho, NYPublishers Clearing House / HeadquartersJericho is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States, on the North Shore of Long Island, approximately 29 miles east of Midtown Manhattan. Its population was 13,567 as of the U.S. 2010 Census. Wikipedia
Publisher's Clearing House (PCH) has awarded more than $315 million in prizes since 1967, when the famed sweepstakes began [1]. PCH uses the sweepstakes to promote magazine subscriptions and other merchandise like jewelry and time-share vacations. This nets the company one billion dollars a year in revenue [2].Feb 19, 2022
Right now only seven states allow lottery winners to maintain their anonymity: Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Texas, Ohio and South Carolina. And six states also allow people to form a trust to claim prize money anonymously. California entirely forbids lottery winners to remain anonymous.
Random Drawing In automated drawings, the computer randomly selects a winner from among all eligible entries. In a manual drawing, eligible entries are numbered sequentially and a bingo cage is used to randomly select a winning sequence number.
Make Sure Your PCH Win Is Legit Before You Start to Celebrate. Chip Simons / Getty Images
Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes are legit, but not every win notification from them is. Why? 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.
Facebook is a fabulous tool for sweepstakes fans, but it can also be a breeding ground for scams. One of these common scams uses fake Publishers Clearing House pages to trick victims.
Publishers Clearing House works diligently to fight scams, both by working with law enforcement officials and through public education.
If you've already sent money to a PCH scammer, contact your local police office. You'll also need to be extra cautious in the future because scammers consider people who have already been scammed to be easy prey, and there's a good chance that you will be targeted again.
PCH was a leading supporter and member of the Alliance for Consumer Fraud Awareness, a private-public initiative of the Postal Inspection Service. The mission of the Alliance has been to empower consumers to recognize and avoid consumer scams through public education and media programs.
Names you’ve come to know and recognize such as Dave Sayer , Todd Sloane and Danielle Lam – all real members of our famous PCH Prize Patrol. Even the name of Deborah Holland, our Executive Vice President whose name appears in PCH promotional mailers, has been hijacked and illegally used by scammers.
With the belief that educated consumers are in the best position to stop fraud, Publishers Clearing House has undertaken a number of consumer education programs that are designed to reach those who might be targeted by fraudulent sweepstakes scam artists. These efforts include:
The scammers may tell you that you were given “an advance on a sweepstakes prize” and that some “fee, tax or additional payment” is necessary. You may be told you are being paid the “first installment” on millions and that “you will receive more after wiring a portion back.”.
But just because you can withdraw the money doesn’t mean the check is good. It can take weeks for the forgery to be discovered and the check to bounce.
The check is fake, but the SCAM is real! Publishers Clearing House does not operate this way and would NEVER ask for money to claim a prize.
At PCH the Winning is Always Free! At PCH the winning is always free and you NEVER have to pay to claim a prize. Recognizing the difference between legitimate sweepstakes and other types of offers that may not be legitimate will help you protect yourself and your family. If someone contacts you claiming to be from PCH, ...
Another recent version of PCH scams is when a criminal gets access to your social media account and contacts your extended family members, telling them that they have won all the money. They use trust between family members to scam people out of their money.
The PCH sweepstakes email, letter, or text message you receive will tell you to respond quickly, or else you will miss out on your winnings. It also tells you to keep your winnings confidential or private so that “security” is maintained and other people don’t cash out on your winnings.
If you have already sent your money to a Publishers Clearing House scammer, you should contact your local police station. Also, you can use the form below. You should also be much more careful in the future because scammers who have already fooled you once will only try and trick you again.
If you win a sweepstakes prize from Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes or any other similar legitimate company, you will never need to pay. Scammers take money from you in exchange for a reward that they promise, but it will never be sent. Do not give sensitive information.
Do not give sensitive information. 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. Even though you may need to fill out an affidavit to verify eligibility if you win, you will not have to give any information ...
Getting a check doesn’t mean that you have won. Some scammers make it seem like you are not really paying any price. They send a check over to you and ask you to send a small amount back to them due to an error. These checks are not legitimate and just a part of the fraud. So don’t fall for the Check in the Mail scam.
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 Publishers Clearing House website states, “All PCH prices of $500 or greater are awarded by either certified or express letter or in person by our famous Prize Patrol at our option.”.