Publishers Clearing House (PCH) Impersonation Scams
Americans lost $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024, according to the FTC.
Quick Answer
Scammers impersonating Publishers Clearing House (PCH) trick victims into paying fake fees to claim non-existent prizes, with consumers reporting losses of $49 million to these specific impersonation scams in 2023.
Think you've seen this scam?
Paste any suspicious text, email, or voicemail into our free checker — get a verdict in 5 seconds. Or get our free Scam Defense Playbook.
Free. No credit card. No signup required for the checker.
How It Works
1
A scammer contacts you unexpectedly via phone call, email, social media message, or postal mail claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House. They announce you have won a major prize, such as millions of dollars and a new car, often creating a sense of urgency.
2
To claim your winnings, the scammer instructs you to first pay a fee. They use various excuses for this fee, such as processing charges, insurance costs, delivery fees, or federal taxes. They often demand payment through untraceable methods like wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency.
3
After the initial payment, the scammer may invent new fees and taxes that must be paid. In some cases, they send a fake check for you to deposit, instructing you to wire a portion of it back to them before the check inevitably bounces, leaving you responsible for the full amount.
4
Once the scammer has extracted money or they believe you will not send any more, they disappear. The promised prize never materializes, and victims are often left with significant financial losses and compromised personal information.
Red Flags
- You are asked to pay any fee to receive a prize; legitimate sweepstakes, including PCH, never require winners to pay upfront fees.
- You are contacted by phone, email, or social media about winning a major prize; the real PCH Prize Patrol awards major prizes in person.
- The notification demands you act immediately or risk forfeiting the prize; this is a high-pressure tactic to prevent you from thinking clearly.
- You are asked to pay using gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency; these are preferred payment methods for scammers because they are difficult to trace.
- You receive a check and are told to deposit it and wire a portion of the money back to cover fees.
- You are asked for confidential information like a bank account number or Social Security number to claim a prize.
- The person contacting you claims to be from PCH but provides a different phone number for verification than the official one on the PCH website.
What to Do If Targeted
- Do not pay any money to claim a prize. Legitimate sweepstakes do not require winners to pay fees.
- End all communication immediately. Do not respond to the email, text, or social media message, and hang up the phone.
- Never provide personal or financial information, such as your bank account number, credit card number, or Social Security number, to someone who claims you've won a prize.
- Contact Publishers Clearing House directly at their official phone number (1-800-459-4724) to verify if you have actually won a prize.
- If you have already sent money, contact your bank or the gift card company immediately to report the fraud and attempt to stop the payment.
- Report the scam to the appropriate authorities to help them track and stop these criminals.
How to Report It
- FTC — File a fraud report with the Federal Trade Commission. This data is used by law enforcement across the country to investigate scammers.
- FBI IC3 — Report internet-based crime, including phishing emails and fake websites, to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
- FCC — File a complaint about phone scams, robocalls, or unwanted calls with the Federal Communications Commission.
- AARP Fraud Helpline — Call 877-908-3360 for free support from trained fraud specialists. Available to anyone, not just AARP members.
Key Statistics
- Consumers reported losing $49 million to scammers impersonating Publishers Clearing House in 2023. — FTC 2024
- Publishers Clearing House was the number one most impersonated organization reported to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Scam Tracker in 2024. — BBB 2025
- In 2023, the FTC received 157,520 reports of fraud involving prizes, sweepstakes, and lotteries, with victims collectively losing $338 million. — FTC 2024
- Losses from business and government impersonation scams, the category that includes PCH scams, topped $1.1 billion in 2023. — FTC 2024
- The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 5,623 complaints related to lottery, sweepstakes, and inheritance scams in its 2025 report. — FBI IC3 2025
Get scam alerts before they hit your parents' inbox
One email per week. The scam that's spreading right now, the red flags, and what to tell Mom and Dad.
Free forever. Unsubscribe in one click.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Publishers Clearing House (PCH) is a legitimate marketing company that has run sweepstakes for decades. However, its well-known name is frequently used by scammers to impersonate the company and trick people into sending money for non-existent prizes. The Better Business Bureau named Publishers Clearing House the most impersonated organization in its 2024 Scam Tracker report.
The real PCH Prize Patrol notifies its major prize winners (typically those of $10,000 or more) in person, famously showing up at their doorstep with a giant check, balloons, and champagne. They do not notify major winners via phone call, email, text message, or social media. For smaller prizes, winners are typically notified via certified mail.
No, you never have to pay to claim a prize from the real Publishers Clearing House. All prize winnings are free and clear. Scammers' requests for money to cover taxes, shipping, or processing fees are a clear sign of fraud.
Consumers reported losing $49 million to scams specifically impersonating Publishers Clearing House in 2023, according to the Federal Trade Commission. For the broader category of prizes, sweepstakes, and lotteries, the FTC received over 157,000 reports with total losses of $338 million in 2023.
Has this scam reached your family?
Ready to protect yourself?
We've vetted the tools that actually work — VPN, threat protection, and identity monitoring.
See our recommended tools →Get weekly scam alerts
One breakdown per week. Real threats. Zero fluff.
You're in! Check your inbox.