Publishers Clearing House impersonation scam

Publishers Clearing House (PCH) is the most-impersonated sweepstakes in the US because the brand is so widely recognized — particularly among older adults. PCH does run real sweepstakes with multi-million-dollar prizes. They never call ahead, never require payment, and the Prize Patrol arrives unannounced with cameras.

Scammers exploit this gap by calling, mailing, or emailing "PCH Prize Patrol coordinator" notifications that you've won. To claim, you need to pay taxes, processing fees, courier insurance, or other upfront costs. The prize never materializes. The fees do.

PCH has a public victim-assistance program because the impersonation is so common.

• Phone call or letter claiming PCH win.
• Required to pay fees, taxes, or insurance before claiming.
• Asked to keep the matter confidential.
• Payment via wire, gift cards, or prepaid debit.
• Caller is from a "PCH affiliate" or "verification office."
• The promised prize amount is large enough to be exciting ($2.5M-$25M).
• Urgency: "the check is being delivered today."

1. Real PCH never calls ahead. They arrive unannounced with cameras and a giant check.
2. Real PCH never requires payment to claim any prize. Taxes are withheld at distribution.
3. Call PCH directly at 1-800-459-4724 to verify any claimed contact.
4. PCH publishes their winners on their official site — verify your name appears there.
5. Real PCH doesn't communicate via free-email addresses or text messages.

• Contact your bank, wire service, or gift-card issuer.
• Report to the FTC, IC3, and PCH's victim-assistance line.
• Tell family members. PCH impersonation often targets older adults; isolation enables repeat victimization.
• Block the caller's number.
• Place a credit freeze if personal info was shared.

• Do not pay any "tax" or "fee" to claim a PCH prize.
• Do not keep the "winning" secret because the caller asks.
• Do not assume the caller's mention of real PCH employee names proves legitimacy.
• Do not continue communicating after suspecting a scam.

• FTC: reportfraud.ftc.gov — the broadest US fraud intake; reports flow to thousands of law-enforcement agencies.
• FBI IC3: ic3.gov — the right destination when the scam is internet-enabled (phishing, BEC, romance, crypto).
• CFPB: consumerfinance.gov/complaint — for complaints about banks, money transmitters, payment apps, credit cards, debt collection.
• IdentityTheft.gov — if any identity information (SSN, driver's license, account credentials) was shared.
• Your bank or payment platform. Call the number on the back of your card or use the app's in-product help. Time matters — wires can sometimes be recalled within hours; ACH and Zelle are harder but worth trying.