Publisher’s Clearing House imposter

Victim Location 62871

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Said I won a million dollars and a new truck, gave all kind of numbers and names badge number, bar code numbers, check numbers. Then asked that I go to a store and buy a prepaid Vanilla Visa card and they would then instruct me from there. playing along I said ok…didnt give bank information or anything but he asked that I put 300 hundred dollars on the Visa card.

Victim Location 76310

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

received a phone call yesterday and played along i with their game and I had one 18mil and did I want to go private or public and then they said I was gonna have to pay $4,000 in gift taxes

Victim Location 83634

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

A man called identified himself as Jeff Gerwin. Told me I had won $2.5 million and an E-Class Mercedes-Benz. Hr knre my first and last name and that I was in Idaho. He then asked for $985 "Registration Fell." Very insistent that I come up with some on line payment today! He rattled off a bunch of numbers, receipt numbers, registration numbers, etc. I finally just hung up on him, after my wife and I had a good laugh.

Victim Location 99515

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

This person led us to believe a lottery was won when in fact he wanted to have us buy a certain green dot card with $299 on it so he was able to take the money from us.

Victim Location 03079

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

I received a call from a man named "Dave Sawyer" who stated his title was "Prized Director". He told me he was calling from Publisher’s Clearing House and told me that I’d won $4.5 million dollars, delivered to me as a certified bank check. In addition to that I was going to win an "Escalade Mercedez Benz sports car" and was also going to get $7,000/ month for life. All I needed to do was send a bank certified check for $3,500 to Jack Cook at the Texas address I provided above.

They said that my money would be coming out of New York and, since they money had to be transferred to me in New Hampshire there would be a $3,500 dollar "transfer charge", which was why I needed to send that amount.

Victim Location 83651

Total money lost $10

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

I received a call from David Welch, and his phone is 561.462.7689, ext. 05. He gave me Marylee Miller as the attorney name for PCH. He told me they were going to present me a check, from Steve Harvey, and Linda Allen who is a state marshal. He told me to go to Office Depot and pick up documents, which cost me $10. He told me to keep all of this confidential until I received a check for the winnings. He said he would follow through and call me up until I am presented with a $4.5 million check, and a new Mercedes.

Victim Location 83642

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Roger Wilson from PCH called my aunt and I called him. He gave me info on how we had won 2.5 million plus $5000 a month bonus. He told me we had to go to fedex, usps, or ups to meet with someone, and give them a check for over $900 to pay for insurance for the winning checks. He wanted to set up a meeting at my aunt’s house April 6th at 1230pm. He said my aunt’s husband had won back in February of 2020 but they couldn’t contact him so now they were reaching out to her. They didn’t realize he passed away nearly 20 years ago.

Victim Location 63125

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Jerry Walters called and claimed that I won with the Publisher’s Clearing House. I thought it was odd because I never entered anything in to the PCH. He claimed that it was because I shopped at a few different places and they convert cash spent into chances to win the sweepstakes. I had apparently won $15.5 million and a Mercedes Benz through this. They told me they would be delivering the car on that Saturday (they had called me on Friday initially) and the manager would be calling me back to explain more details. I had to leave at the time and spoke with the manager on Saturday as they claimed. He said the car wouldn’t be there yet as I needed to get a $800 cashier’s check in order to get my winnings. I had to send this check to Sam Sterns at 1626 Kings Mill Way APT 113 in Madison Wisconsin, 53718.

Victim Location 96817

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

I received a call from 876-362-5883. Supposedly I won $2.5 million in Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes. I was told to go to my bank to withdraw $200 to have it ready for the prize delivery. They also wanted to pay off my credit card debt and asked for credit card and debit card numbers, which I did not give. Instead I called ScamPulse.com to report. 

Victim Location 29372

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Scammer used the name Prystalski and told me I won money and a new mercedes.

Victim Location 83669

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Received telephone call from Tom Goodman stating they were from Publisher’s Clearing House. Said she won 2.5 million and a car. Said she needed to call Bank of America at 562-253-2915 and gave her an account number. She called the number and gave her social security number and birthdate to David WIilliams. They knew her name already. When they called the number then number back this morning it wasn’t a bank.

Victim Location 83703

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Consumer Called:

Publisher’s Clearing House called me last week and left an automated voice message that I had won a prize and needed to claim it. I called them back today and no one answered, 45 min later I received a call from Dave who stated I won $2 million as the second place winner and needed call this bank phone number 877-975-8139, but he never gave me the name. The account number for the bank is: *** and I gave him the last 4 of my social as the pin. He said I needed to call the bank and follow the options.

Victim Location 99705

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Man called with a somewhat thick accent. Said he was from Publisher’s Clearing House. I told him that I hadn’t entered and he said it was because I had paid my bills on time for a long time in Alaska. He insisted that it wasn’t a scam and that it really was PCH. He gave a lot of names of people that were going to come by the house and what my winning ticket # was. It took about 15 minutes for him to get to where he said I needed to take 1 percent of the winning amt ($850) to the local post office; then the official papers would be maintained in Anchorage. Then they would send a check for the remaining winning amount. He sounded more and more fishy as time went on. After about 20 minutes on the phone with him I hung up. he did not call back.

Victim Location 13838

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

202-509-0677 called stating he is anothony Garcia and is with federal game board located in Washington dc

said bank of America and irs will send me 2 copies of a 299 tax form and I need my drivers license for id to sign for the paperwork

anothony stated I have won 750,000 in publishers clearing house and will receive my money fedex

Victim Location 35473

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Claimed to be Publisher’s Clearing House. David Whitmore, Badge number 2525pch. Gave a package claim code 3535ups. Said I’d won 5.5 million dollars and a new Mercedes Benz but would have to pay for 1% of taxes.

Victim Location 83709

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Unfortunately I did not write down the phone number used by this scammer. He was doing his best to hide his foreign accent but called me Mr. Nancy Williams and couldn’t pronounce Lincoln. His voicemail message was telling me that I had won some ridiculous amount of money, $14.5 million I think, and a Lincoln Navigator. I laughed. I was to call a number to claim my prize. I did not write that number down. If he should happen to call again, I will note the numbers.

Victim Location 99202

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

on oct 8th, 2018, at 11;30am, i received a phone call on my cell phone. the man introduced himself as "John anderson", from publisher’s Clearing House. he stated that I had won a prize in a "second drawing". he then said: "congratulations, you have won 5 million dollars!. he gave me the winning number of "7070" he then gave me the claim #: "551001. he then gave me the pin #: 6161PX. he then told me that they had to process check through the IRS, and it wouls cost me $379.00 dollars. this man has an "Indian accent", and has continually tried to call me. he gave me his phone number: (202) 922-1154 – ext: 18765590454. I felt immediately like this was a scam, because they asked for money up front.

Victim Location 59639

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

I received a phone call stating that I had won a third prize from Publisher’s Clearing House. They said I needed to call the number I gave above and talk to Don Choppler. I did so, and he informed me that the call was recorded and monitored by ScamPulse.com. He asked for my name and physical address, which I gave him. He said I had won 950,000.00 and a 2018 Chevy Malibu. Since I haven’t entered one of their sweepstakes in a year I was suspicious. He claimed the awards team was on its way to my house; that it had just left Helena, MT and was 10 minutes away. It takes over an hour to get here from Helena, so this was my second suspicion. He started telling me that they had paid the taxes already, when we were disconnected. I called back and he said to wait for him to call me back. He did, and continued explaining that all the taxes were paid on the money as well as the car. The only thing they didn’t pay was the Federal Trades Commission and that it had to be paid before I could receive my awards. He kept changing the amount, first saying I had to pay 1% and then that I just had to pay 950.00. I told him I don’t have 950.00 and that I wouldn’t give him any money. He got a bit angry and said "so you have the money, but you just won’t pay it". I told him I don’t have the money and hung up. He called back and I told him again that I was not going to give him any money and to stop calling me. He called again, but I didn’t answer. He had a foreign accent, maybe Middle East?

Victim Location 98006

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Consumer called:

A man named Roger Pearson called and advised that I have won money from Publisher’s Clearing House. I told him I didn’t do anything with Publisher’s Clearing House and he continues to call.

Victim Location 14224

Total money lost $1,200

Type of a scam Sweepstakes/Lottery/Prizes

Victim stated that starting around 7/14/18 she began receiving phone calls from a Hispanic male claiming to be from Publisher’s Clearing House. The caller, identified as "McGuire" stated that Victim had won two cars through the sweepstakes and to claim her prizes she had to send over surcharge monies via Western Union. According to victim she sent multiple transactions at the man’s request totaling $2,000.00 before she realized it was a scam. Per the subject’s instructions the money grams were always sent to Jamaica with a different addressee each time, one being a "Kurt Stewart." The phone calls always came from the same phone number (876) 535-7230.