Beware the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Scam

You've probably seen the Publisher's Clearing House sweepstakes ads on TV. You may also be receiving emails from the company designed to get you to enter the contest. It seems too good to be true and the odds are about like winning a Powerball jackpot, but dreaming of winning $5,000 a week for life is a pretty strong incentive. One Victoria woman thought she was pretty lucky when she received a notice in the mail that said she was a $10,000 winner, which turned out to be a scam.

According to a report in the Victoria Advocate, 68 year-old Patricia Flores received a fake check for nearly $10,000 the other day allegedly from the contest company, but it looked suspicious. Flores said the letter that came with the 'check' was lacking an official seal and didn't arrive via certified mail. The letter listed a phone number for her to call, and when she did, a man asked her for personal information. When she questioned it, he hung up the phone.

According to the published report, Publisher's Clearinghouse will only contact winners of major prizes in person. They, or any other legitimate contest company would also never ask a prize winner to pay money in order to collect a prize.

Remember, if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.