Publishers Clearing House

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Today (Mar 22/18) we received a phone call purporting to be from Publishers Clearing House to advise us that we had won a Million dollars and a new Honda Accord. There were some basic questions such as; do you have a valid drivers license, will you be home tomorrow at 12:30 to receive your prize, what color of car would like?, etc. This was followed up later in the day to say that they had received an e-mail from the IRS that there would have to be taxes withheld which we would have to pay before the prizes could be delivered. The discussion was very brief after that as we hung up on him.

Victim Location 48856
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Caller called from restricted number. Said won 2.5 million can verify with Wells Faro Bank. Called 304.581.4528 then entered Pin #3399, then operator who did say "Hello you reached Wells Faro and enter pin". I did, then she said 2.5 million was in checking. The first guy called me back (name Michael Anderson) and o.k. called then sent me to manager David Goodman. Instructed me several times this was 100% real and not to worry. Kept calling me "Sweety" Asked me how I wanted to receive 2.5M check private or public (cameras), put my husbands name on check too, do I have a drivers licenses and how far the bank was from home. Also, told me about all the winnings, money, cash per week and a car for a year. Then told me to go to Walmart and get a Walmart to Walmart Form to pay the Lawyer fee to Susan Wilkinson (because it was a state and federal law to pay her before she showed up at my door with the prize check. This fee was $300 + the $10 fee to Walmart. I went to Walmart (20 minutes away) Mr. Goodman would not let me hang up. Got form, back in car and only filed out my name, city, state & zip and only filed out Susan's name, city and state and $300 for the amount to be sent. I was told to bring receipt back home to give to Susan when she showed up. They should have been at my house when I reached Walmart BUT NOT!! I also read the Walmart transfer fee form and I could answered one of the questions to "YES" to not transfer fee. When I got back in car I could hear chain saw or motorcycle noise in background. TO MANY WEIRD THINGS GOING ON TO BE 100% PUBLISHER'S CLEARING HOUSE. Therefore, I hung up, David called me twice back I proceed to tell him this transaction had to many IFS!!! No calls back. I tried to get on Publisher's Clearing House site to see their procedures for presenting people with checks, but site was unavailable today. I have keep all my notes and I have given you all numbers and names they have used. Will you let me is this was truly a SCAM?

Thank You

Victim Location 01603
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

I got a call today from an unknown number, claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House. They told me that I won the grand prize, and that I just had to verify some information before getting my prize money handed to me in person. They said that first I needed to confirm my first and last name and address, and also needed to go to my local Wal-Mart or CVS and send a money order of $950.30 to them before I got my prize money. I knew it was a scam then and hung up on them.

Victim Location 43229
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

I received two calls last week, and again today from Bobby Lawrence with a foreign accent. He said he was Publisher's Clearinghouse. He said I won 2.5 million and an Altima. He asked if I was married, live alone, and my age. He asked what I would do with the money, and my last job. He said you would need to pay a service pay of $205 to cover the processing of the winning check. He gave me a number to the Walmart in Athens, GA to pay through Walmart to Walmart. He told me to keep it a secret, not even to tell my family members. I offered to pay him from my winnings, but he said that's not their process. He told me to call 347-991-2961.

Victim Location 67203
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

I received a call this morning from, supposedly, publishers clearing house saying I would 2.5 millions dollars plus a mercedes benz. Named all of the people that will be at the house. But I would have to go to the bank and get $950 for the tax on the car. Then send it through Fed Ex and get a reciept. Go home and then the people at pch would be there and I would give them the receipt at that time and then they would give my the check and the car. I knew that didn't sound ligitimate. I told him this is a scam and that I called pch and then he hung up.

Victim Location 44145
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

I received a mailing today. A check was enclosed for $ 8697.13 The name on the check was Pack West Floors & more. . The mailing said I won $600,000. Contact our branch office immediately 1-845-445-0723 and speak to claims agent Andrew Goldberg. I did not call the phone number. It has a stand International Lotto Commission. It has letterhead of Publishers Clearing House. Canada/USA. Check is enclosed for processing expenses. States to keep this letter confidential. If I want prize patrol van notify my agent. It seems very suspicious. That is why I contacted the ScamPulse.com.

Victim Location 78613
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Got a call saying I won 250,000 from publishers clearing house. They have me info on the cashier's check I would be receiving along with the employee's name and badge# for verification. I would just need to make a Wal-Mart to Wal-Mart transfer of 1% of the prize money for them to verify that taxes were paid so that I wouldn't be under review for money laundering when I received the prize money. They were very concerned with me not sharing this info with anyone because then someone else could claim my prize.

Victim Location 55027
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

A man called me using the generic name John. He said I’d won $800,000 and a new car. But I needed to pay just 1% of my winnings for tax. I could go to the local Walmart store and wire him the money using my “winning code”.

Victim Location 76543
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Called my cell representing Publisher Clearing House the I won $1.5M & Mercedes Benz. Talked about prize being delivered. Asked if I wanted it public OR to remain private and confidential. I chose the latter. Given confirmation code 001002 that was needed when prize patrol arrived in 2.5 hours. He said his name was John Cruz, badge #AQ7891. Told me I needed a Claimer's Receipt and also to avoid being heavily taxed by the IRS a 3d party would do something with 90% of the tax burden leaving me to pay the remaining 10% of $850. Told me I had to use Western Union to send money to Gladys Amador in Gidding, Texas and I would be given a transaction number or something that I needed to give to them when they called and that is when I would get the Claimer's Receipt which is what I needed to get my prize. He re-emphasized being private and confidential. I told him I would have it done it half hour. I then blocked the number and ignored several other calls that followed.

Victim Location 62301
Type of a scam Fake Check/Money Order

His name is Michael Collins and he pretends to be from Publisher Clearing House. He gives his badge number of 371wus. He then tells you that you have won Publisher Clearing house and a car and they will pay all the taxes on everything but you need to get a registered receipt from the post office. Very believable and persistent, has called more than once.

Victim Location 65202
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

"James Bradley" called me over the phone and told me to write a check to myself for $3500 and get that cashed in $100 bills. When I asked what it was for, he said taxes on my $2.5 million dollars in winnings from Publisher's Clearinghouse. He wanted to know how much I had in the bank. When I told him I'd like to tell my daughter about this and could he leave his phone number, he wouldn't give me his phone number and said I can tell nobody. He said he'd be at the bank to receive the funds.

Victim Location 37312
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Phone call. James Carter said he was from Publisher Clearing House. Wanted us to take information his name, address. Called back 2 times.

Victim Location 44104
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

I received a call a few days ago from Publishers Clearing House on my house phone. Caller stated I won $5000 a week for life. They wanted me to send $2500 for processing. He asked me how far my bank bank was from my house. He said to withdraw the money and call him when I got back. I felt this was not right. I did not get the money. He said give me $1000 and I could send the balance. He gave me phone number 800-310-7311 I called the phone number. they gave me processing number 9777. Claim number 4322002USA. They gave me their names Bob Miller, John Holly, David Green. They have called me a few times. This did not seem right.

Victim Location 86403
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

A letter was sent to the consumer in the mail with a check indicating the consumer had won 2nd prize in the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes. The letter stated consumer won five hundred fifty thousand dollars. It then stated Publishers Clearing House made all necessary arrangements in order for the consumer to receive his prize. They enclosed a check from Medevolve, Inc., which is an actual accredited business with BBB, and offers medical software for private practices, medical services, and medical billing services.The phone number to contact Publisher Clearing House is from Canada, and no address for the actual Publisher Clearing House was present on any of the documentation. Attached is the letter and check.

Victim Location 34473
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Mark Merchant, prize director, for Publisher Clearing House said I had won the second prize of $950,000 plus a 2017 Mercedes Benz car.

the only thing I had to do was to get a money gram of $550.00 to give to the delivery person when they brought my car & check.

Victim Location 53711
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Scammer called to advise me I've won $2.7 million. I recognized the 876 area code as Jamaica, but they called again from 876-491-0064. I just disconnected the call each time.

Victim Location 77521
Total money lost $3,200
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Told me he was from Publishers Clearing House and that I won 5MM .

I was told to send a money order for $3200 and I did. I am 96byears old and used money for my funeral thinking I could do something great for my children. My daughter contacted PCH and they confirmed it was not legitimate.

Victim Location 35803
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

A guy called said his name was Michael Anderson. He said I had won 3 million dollars but that I needed to pay $150.00 in taxes. He said it was a senior prize. Asked if I had credit cards, my bank name, and if I had a car. He said I also had won a 2018 MB Pearl White. I gave him no information. I asked if this was a joke, he stated that it was not. He said I would receive the money in the mail and I was to go to the bank and cash it, then have the money when they brought the car out on Friday. He called back a second time to give me a security code. "Honesty is our best policy, Better Days." I have not received any thing and don't expect to see him.

Victim Location 78613
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Fri, Mar 2, 2018 at 6:18 AM I received an email from [email protected] with an invoice to pay Total Account Balance Due: $17.95 for a 60 minute timer. It has an order number of 305895586990 and says the Order Date: 02-21-2018, but I am just now getting the email confirmation of the order that happened over 9-Days ago!! When calling customer service, the prompts ask for a customer number, which is rejected becasue it doesn't exist in their systems. Fact is, I never placed this order! I have only been playing the PCH.com games and building up tokens just for the fun of it because their official rules state "ALL PRIZES ARE GUARANTEED TO BE AWARDED AS OFFERED NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO ENTER BUYING WON’T HELP YOU WIN". So I called today to cancel this order, and after being transferred to a call center, I asked the rep how are orders placed and she explained the whole pick, click to place in basket, review order, then submit - which I explained I had never taken any such steps. The rep did say she cancelled the order and I all had to do was refuse the shipment, but in reviewing FedEx shipment 9274892701035742456197, it says they have only received shipping information and a label was created. So I called back again to try and stop the shipment because it hasn't gone anywhere and again called them out as a scam as I explained I don't feel I need to go through all the hassles of having to drive to FedEx and waste my time - so this rep tells me I don't even have to send the item back and to go drop it off at a Goodwill center.

So I am reporting that PCH.com is a scam in that the company will auto-generate product orders on your behalf without your permission and ship you unauthorized products in hopes that you will pay money. If you call to inquire as to why this happened, they are quick to cancel your order claiming not to return anything. Most people will accept the package and open it and then be on the line for payment (extortion by proxy). I just feel this is shady business at best and would like others to be aware of the facts, check your email constantly if playing, and call to inquire immediately if you did not manually place any orders.

Victim Location 99517
Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Received a phone call from a male stating that he was with Publishers clearing House. He said that I had won second place from a form I had filled out back in 2012. I asked him why his phone number said he was from Jamaica, he claimed his phone number was from New York. When I said I was done with the conversation and was going to hang up, he stated ‘[censored] you’.