Let ABC15 Know viewer Deborah was woken up by an early morning phone call. The person on the other end made a big claim.
"They were from Publishers Clearing House, and [said] I had won $8.5 million," Deborah recalled.
That's a life-changing amount of money! With millions in the bank, Deborah said she would pay off the houses of everyone in her family and donate funds to local hospitals. That is, if she really was a winner.
There was one giant, glaring catch to her new millions - Deborah never entered a sweepstakes to win.
"The bells and whistles went off in my head. I said, 'this is a scam.' And it was," said Deborah.
She says the caller spoke with an accent and occasional broken English. That put her on alert. Then, when explaining how Deborah would collect her winnings, she said the caller told her she would be responsible for paying a portion of the taxes before she could collect the funds.
"I was supposed to go to CVS and buy a money pack scratch card for $99," Deborah explained.
Being asked to pay for your winnings and to use a pre-paid, loadable card or gift card are all red flags that a scam is occurring.
Fortunately, Deborah spotted the warning signs. She eventually blocked the number and reported the scam to authorities. However, she's not the only person being targeted.
Let ABC15 Know viewer Vicki wrote to us after she received a similar call. The person told her she was chosen as a winner and would receive $5.2 million and a 2024 Mercedes vehicle.
The same goes for viewer Julie. Scammers told her she would have to pay to cover "shipping charges" to collect her winnings.
Julie wrote: "They want $9,000. They're willing to go down to even $400."
Meanwhile, viewer Halie wrote that her neighbor unfortunately fell victim to the scam. The neighbor did make an initial payment, only to be met with demands for more money by the scammer.
"It really bothers me that people fall for this because a lot of people can't afford it," Deborah said when asked about the frequency of scam calls.
She's right.
While Publishers Clearing House is legitimate, the number of scams using the name to con consumers is great. In fact, it happens so often that the real PCH has a warning on its website stating in part: "Publishers Clearing House does not operate this way and would NEVER ask for money to claim a prize. PCH employees would never contact you personally or in advance to notify you of a prize award."
If you receive a scam call, letter, or email, report it! Contact your local law enforcement as well as the Federal Trade Commission.
Publishers Clearing House is also fighting back against scammers. If you're contacted by an imposter, they want to know. You can fill out their report form online.
