We all like to enter sweepstakes, the thought of winning big money entices a lot of people to complete the forms and send them in. Publisher’s Clearing House has been around for a long time. Now the scammers are using the name of PCH to illegally get money from unsuspecting folks. Don’t get caught in a scam.
Be alert! There are signs to let you know if it’s real or bogus.
Did you really enter this contest? Do you recognize the name? Is this a foreign lottery? Remember it is impossible to win, if you didn’t enter. Only if, you were in a foreign county and bought a lottery ticket there,
is it possible to win a foreign lottery. It is illegal to sell foreign lottery tickets across international borders (that goes for Canada, too).
True sweepstakes will NOT ask you to pay money to receive your winnings. Remember, you are supposed to be winning here, winning means they give you something. Legitimate contests will never ask you to pay fees to participate or receive your winnings. That means no handling fees, service fees or any type funds up front; that is a sure sign it’s a scam.
If your winning notice came through the email and came from an address like yahoo, aol, or hotmail, then that’s another sure sign of a scam. Publisher’s Clearing House, Microsoft and other legitimate businesses DO NOT USE FREE email addresses. Do not respond to unsolicited email.
Were you mailed a large check with your notification? Legitimate sweepstakes require a winner’s affidavit to be complete before any type funds are sent. Another sure sign, they claim they sent an extra amount to cover taxes, handling expenses and for you to keep part of it then send the remaining funds back to them.
Remember the extra money they want you to send back to them? If they suggest Western Union or a Green Dot card, know it is a scam. Once you send money by these means, it is gone. Legitimate companies would never ask you to do this. Western Union and Green Dot are legitimate companies, the scammers love the services they offer. It’s so easy for a scammer to get your money this way. Remember, if you buy a Green Dot card, loaded with money and then give the scammer the number code on it, your money is gone.
Are they rushing you to make decisions, to act in a hurry? Slow down, and think of all they are presenting to you and asking of you.
You do not have to give them your bank account number or credit/ debit card number. There is no reason for them to have that information. Remember, NEVER give personal information to someone, you do not know, someone who has called you. It has been reported of calls from companies working on behalf of Medicaid and Medicare who ask for this information, then withdraw large amounts of money.
Did you get a letter concerning your win? Was the letter started with “Dear sir” or something very generic. Did you notice any misspelled word, typos, use of uncommonly used words. Remember school and the grammar teacher, now is the time to check the content of the letter for spelling, grammar and punctuation. These are all red flags of someone who may not be familiar with the use of our English language.
Did your letter arrive by the bulk mail system? Legitimate sweepstakes use first class mail, UPS, or FedEx. But be aware, occasionally, some scammers are using these methods also.
Did your letter come from the “National Sweepstake Board” or something like that”. It doesn’t exist. There is no government office involved in dispersing prize winnings.
The methods that scammers use have changed greatly through the past few years and as technology evolves so will the ways they will attempt to get their hands on your money. Always be alert to the promise of fast, easy money whether it is under the guise of sweepstakes, lottery or some other means. We all have dreams of being rich….just don’t let it become a nightmare for you.
