The day has finally come — you’ve won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes! At least, that’s what the guy on the phone is telling you. But don’t send your thanks to the ghost of Ed McMahon just yet: if someone is telling you to fork over huge wads of cash in order to claim your prize from PCH, it’s a scam and you should hang up the phone and start hoping anew. [More]
publisher’s clearing house
Reminder: There Are No Fees To Claim Your Prize When You Win The Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes
By 11.23.15
Win In Publishers Clearing House Game Due To ‘Technical Malfunction’
By 7.17.15
Have you ever wondered whether anyone really wins the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes? One woman thought she did while playing a game for real money on the company’s website. She won five separate digital slots-style games, racking up a total of $5,000. She was happy to wait for her check…and wait…and she kept waiting. [More]
Senate Investigates Publishers Clearing House Amid Allegations Of Deceptive Marketing
By 4.15.14
For years the friendly faces at Publishers Clearing House have been giving consumers hope that they’ve won or are about to win a fabulous prize. But does the company mislead consumers with deceptive sweepstakes promotions? In some instances, yes, a new report has found. [More]
Actual Living, Breathing Human Wins Publishers Clearing House Prize Of $5K A Week — Forever
By 8.30.13
Every time the doorbell rang when I was growing up, I knew without a doubt that it would be the prize crew from Publishers Clearing House on my doorstep with a big, fat check, and that I’d be able to keep myself in LEGO, Barbies and Pixie Sticks for a lifetime. But the actual odds of winning PCH’s “Forever” Prize — $5,000 per week for life — are about 1 in 1.215 billion.* As such, the doorbell usually heralded the Fuller Brush Man or one of my neighborhood pals, and I had to find money in the lemonade stand. [More]
Big Publisher's Clearing House Scam Drop Hits Mailboxes
By 4.7.09
Call your grandma: the BBB reports a big mailing of Publisher’s Clearing house scam letters went out on March 6th and March 20th, promising people big bucks in exchange for a hefty up-front fee. The fraudulent letters use the name Publisher’s Clearing House and Reader’s Digest but are sent by flim-flammers, not these organizations.The prize never materializes and the scammers dematerialize after you stop forking over bogus processing fees. One grandma, thinking she won $1 million, got taken for over $4,000. The fraudsters sent her a “downpayment” check of $6,000 and told to deposit it and send $3,700 of it elsewhere to claim her million-dollar-prize. Inside, what the scam letter and check look like so you know what to call your grandma and tell her to watch out for.
