Contest scams use Publishers Clearing House name

Susan Tompor | USA TODAY

The scam artists can scare you by pretending to be from the Internal Revenue Service. Or it turns out they can con you out of good money by generating short-lived joy when they pretend to be from Publishers Clearing House.

It's a scam that's hitting one community after another across the country. The warning is a good one to hear now, especially as we're seeing TV ads about winning $7,000 a week for life from Publishers Clearing House. The scam artists play up what's timely to make their pitch seem more legitimate.

It's not unusual for phony prize letters to hit your mailbox. Or your Facebook. Or you might get a legitimate-sounding phone call. The Federal Trade Commission has warned that people lose big money every day to prize scams.

One scam even involves someone who claims to be from the FTC and is handing out money from some federal sweepstakes or lottery.

Clear sign of a scam: You supposedly won money but first must wire hundreds or thousands of dollars, load money up on a Green Dot prepaid card, or hand over your credit card number before you can get that prize. Really?

Earlier this year, an 82-year-old Livonia, Mich., woman filled out an entry to Publishers Clearing House and made a small purchase as part of her entry, which was not required, using her credit card.

But later she received a number of calls from a man who was not from Publishers Clearing House but claimed she had won the Publishers Clearing House and then asked for her personal information, such as her credit card account number, according to Livonia Police Lt. Tom Goralski.

The woman said she did not give out any such information. Yet, Livonia police said, she was a victim of ID theft anyway and had more than $7,000 in unauthorized charges on her credit card accounts. The charges were made to Jamaica. It's unclear how the scam artists got her credit card information for three cards.

I warned earlier about some seniors who get too caught up with trying to win a big prize and end up spending thousands of dollars to buy a bunch of stuff from the real Publishers Clearing House in the hopes of seeing the Prize Patrol show up at the house.

But this warning deals with crooks who are pretending to be part of Publishers Clearing House or some other sweepstakes in order to get your cash or credit card information.

Christopher L. Irving, assistant vice president for consumer and legal affairs for Publishers Clearing House, said the company has worked with law enforcement and consumer protection officials in the U.S., Canada and Jamaica to combat the scams. A comprehensive database of scam-related incidents is downloaded to the Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Sentinel Database each month, which can help law enforcement officials target scammers, he said.

Irving noted that some lottery scams are originating out of Jamaica.

His one tip to avoid scams: Remember "no purchase, tax, payment, fee or money transfer is ever requested or required to collect a prize."

Recently, a senior in the Cleveland area thought she had won millions but ended up being scammed out of up to $45,000. Oddly enough, at one point she was asked to stuff thousands of dollars inside a book and send it to a Pompano Beach, Fla., address, according to a Cleveland TV report.

In September, police departments in various communities from Indiana to Florida reported some type of sweepstakes scam related to the fraudulent use of the Publishers Clearing House name.

One 92-year-old woman in Florida reportedly lost $399.99 when she sent a cashier's check after receiving a call saying she won a car. The man identified himself as being from Publishers Clearing House and said she needed to send some money before the car could be delivered. No car ever arrived, of course.

The Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula has warned that some con artists include what looks like a legitimate check in the letter to supposedly cover taxes on the winnings. But it's a twist on a fake check scam.

"This scam has nothing to do with Publishers Clearing House," the BBB said. "If you deposit the check, and transfer the 'tax' money, you will end up owing the bank."

It will take a few days but ultimately the bank will determine the check is a phony. And you'd be responsible for any money you wired or put on a prepaid card to cover "taxes."

Other win-the-big-money twists: You get a call saying you won a foreign lottery. Or maybe someone pitches you with a chance to join a "lottery club" to improve your chances of winning.

Five ways to avoid being scammed:

Never pay money upfront to claim a prize or cover so-called taxes. If you're being asked to load money on a prepaid card or wire money, it's a Publishers Clearing House impostor scam.

Remember, no one will send you an email or a note on Facebook to announce that you've won a million dollars or more.

Why would you win a prize in a contest that you've never entered?

Ask a relative or trusted friend to review any letters or emails if you think you've won a prize.

Never give personal information, such as a credit card number, in order to verify that you won a prize.

Contact Susan Tompor: 313-222-8876 or stompor@freepress.com. Follow Susan on Twitter @Tompor.