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BBB Warns of Publishers Clearing House Scams – Here’s What To Look For

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The Better Business Bureau says one particular scam is sweeping Texas – and it’s a scam that has popped up in other states around the country for years.

Consumers are contacted by a fake representative from Publishers Clearing House and told they’ve won a prize. Then, the scammers make off with hundreds of dollars.

How does it happen? KFDX explains:

Monica Horton, President of the Better Business Bureau of North Texas, say at the top of this year’s list is a scam that involves people claiming to be with Publishers Clearing House.

[…]

She says Texomans are receiving phone calls from people claiming to be with Publishers Clearing House telling them they won a sweepstakes prize.

Horton says, “In order to claim that prize they’re instructing the consumers to go and purchase a Green Dot Money Pack card and call them back with the information on that card.

She says consumers are also asked to wire money.

On average, the BBB says victims are losing $300 to $500.

[…]

Horton says since October, the number of people who have fallen victim to the Publishers Clearing House scam has gone up.

“The scam is working otherwise the con artist would have already moved on to another method of scamming people,” Horton says.

The BBB says the lost money is typically unrecoverable.

The BBB has tips for anyone who receives these calls:

– Publishers Clearing House will never notify you beforehand that they plan to stop by to award your prize-it should be an absolute surprise.

– You cannot win a prize if you did not enter.

– PCH will never ask for money upfront in order for you to claim your prize.

Publishers Clearing House also has contact information for people contacted by scammers:

Anyone who believes they have been the victim of a fraudulent contact using the name of Publishers Clearing House, may contact us at our toll-free number 1-800-392-4190. Anyone who believes they have received a suspicious email using our name and logo, may forward it to our fraud reporting mailbox, abuse@pch.com.

 

Photo by jridgewayphotography via Flickr CC License

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