Publishers Clearing House Scam

Publishers Clearing House (PCH) is a legitimate sweepstakes, but there are many scams that use the PCH name and logo to take your money. Are you a lucky winner, or are you being scammed? Follow these tips to be sure. Contact PCH customer service directly at 1-800-459-4724 to confirm you’ve won.

If you are ever contacted by someone claiming to represent PCH, or claiming to be one of their employees, and asked to send or wire money (for any reason whatsoever, including taxes); or send a pre-paid gift card or Green Dot Moneypak card in order to claim a sweepstakes prize – DON’T!  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!

PCH does not operate in this manner and will NEVER ask for money to claim a prize.  PCH employees would never contact you personally or in advance to notify you of a prize award.  Their “SuperPrize” is presented just the way you see it in their popular TV commercials, “live and in person” by their Prize Patrol, with balloons, a bouquet of roses and check in hand – – and with no advance notification!

Takoma Park Police would like to remind everyone to be cautious who they talk to and to never blindly give personal information or money to anyone.