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PCH is a popular target of scams because most Americans are familiar with the company, many have already entered the MegaPrize giveaways, and nearly all want to believe they have really won a prize. Today, Publishers Clearing House is best known as a “sweepstakes company,” offering our friends and fans a variety of free-to-play, chance-to-win games, contests, sweepstakes and more, all of which span dozens of apps and digital properties. The expansion into these different areas began in 1967 when PCH launched its first sweepstakes as a means to attract attention to different magazine subscriptions. Obviously, the sweepstakes was a hit and went on to become an integral part of the PCH brand. While our loyal friends, fans, and winners all know that PCH is very real and quite legitimate, we want to take this opportunity to address those with these questions and discuss the long and storied history of Publishers Clearing House. If you've already sent money to a PCH scammer, contact your local police office.
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Publishers Clearing House was founded in 1953 by Harold and LuEsther Mertz and their daughter, Joyce Mertz-Gilmore. From their garage, mailings were created offering consumers an unprecedented array of discounted magazine subscription offers. In 1967 the company launched a sweepstakes to draw attention to its magazine deals and a chance to win money has been a part of the PCH promotional mix ever since. In 1999 PCH launched pch.com, and in recent years, a family of online free-to-play, chance-to-win properties and mobile apps have been developed in support of the brand identity that “It's All About Winning” at Publishers Clearing House. If you receive an e-mail notifying you that you have won a major sweepstakes prize, but are asked to provide personal financial information, or send money — STOP -– you have most likely been contacted by a fraudulent sweepstakes scam operator. At Publishers Clearing House we do not notify major prize winners by e-mail.
Tip 8: Contact PCH: Know the Company Conducting the Sweepstakes
But remember, you have to be in it to win it, so check out all of our sweepstakes today. Then, in 1985, our company began to expand its suite of product offerings into a diverse set of categories including collectibles, household appliances, entertainment devices and so much more. This decision has helped to shape Publishers Clearing House into what it is today. We update our Winners Circle regularly; more and more winners are added every day! You don't have to give Publishers Clearing House your address, PCH account number, bank account number, driver's license number, or any other confidential information when you enter.
For Consumers
If you want to go really big, you can enter to win $1.25 million dollars for your dream home. Remember, every day and every place you play with PCH means MORE WAYS TO WIN, so don’t miss out on a single opportunity — enter PCH sweepstakes today. You can also follow these steps to report a scam directly to Publishers Clearing House. For more tips on how to avoid Publishers Clearing House scams, visit the Contest Integrity section of the PCH website, PCH.com.
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How To Enter Our Sweepstakes
If you receive an email, phone call, email or letter from Publishers Clearing House saying that you're a big winner, it's easy to get so excited that you do or agree to things that make you vulnerable to money and identity theft. That's why it's important to be able to tell the difference between a legitimate prize win and a sweepstakes scam. At PCH we include a Sweepstakes Facts insert in every promotional offer we send. They are there to provide you with all the information you need to play safely!
Tip 4: Be Wary of E-mails Claiming You’ve Won – and Asking You to Send Money
However, you may be notified of smaller prize wins by mail or email, so continue to read the other signs of a legitimate PCH win. Most folks are familiar with PCH because of our legendary Prize Patrol, who deliver giant (in both size and dollar amount) checks, champagne, and balloons to awestruck winners, all while the cameras are rolling. In the summer of 2020 Marie Osmond became a spokesperson for Publishers Clearing House with television and online advertisements as well as direct-to-home mailings.In January 2021, Steve Harvey made his debut in television commercials as a spokesperson for PCH.
New HSR thresholds and filing fees for 2024
The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and protect and educate consumers. The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize. Learn more about consumer topics at consumer.ftc.gov, or report fraud, scams, and bad business practices at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Follow the FTC on social media, read consumer alerts and the business blog, and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts.
About the FTC
Recognizing the difference between legitimate sweepstakes and other types of offers that may not be legitimate will help you protect yourself and your family. But please keep these valuable tips and warning signs in mind to help you identify which offers are real and which are scams. Remember, the FTC never asks you to pay or share personal information to receive a refund. Don't pay anyone who contacts you and promises you a refund but asks you to pay a fee or attempts to obtain your personal information. If you believe you are eligible for a refund, there is nothing you need to do. When we have more information about the refund program, we will post updates here and provide information directly to consumers who are eligible for a refund.
If you use it, however, you transmit your information directly to scammers instead. Scammers extort money from you in exchange for a promise of a prize that never materializes. The truth is you never, ever have to pay to receive a sweepstakes prize from Publishers Clearing House or any other company. But a legitimate-looking win notification isn't enough of a reason to believe you're a big winner.
Instead, the complaint charges, consumers enter an arduous journey through pages of advertisements and sales pitches before they can actually enter the sweepstakes. The advertisements allegedly use tricky wording that conflates ordering and entering to lead consumers to believe they must make a purchase to enter, or that purchasing will increase their chances of winning a sweepstakes, neither of which is true. The FTC charges that PCH used dark patterns—manipulative phrasing and website design—to convince consumers that they needed to buy a product of some kind to enter the company’s sweepstakes or increase their chances of winning. To give you a quick overview of Publishers Clearing House and our history, the company was founded in 1953 by the Mertz family as a direct marketing magazine subscription organization. While this is still true of Publishers Clearing House today, over the years, the company has grown into a world-famous brand that offers a multitude of products, contests, and entertainment services.
Our 100% authenticated and addressable audience powers future-proofed marketing solutions that help brands, agencies, and tech partners accurately identify and interact with qualified users. Sources of revenue for the company are digital advertising, search advertising and the sale of merchandise and magazines offered as bill-me later free credit, with 100% satisfaction guaranteed. The company has awarded over $593 Million in prizes and has evolved to greatly expand its offerings to include many ways to win online and through social media and mobile access. Do NOT use the telephone numbers or email addresses included in your win notice when you do this step — scammers often include fake contact information to trick their victims. For example, if you call a number in your win notice, you might reach the scammer, not the legitimate PCH organization. Scammers are adept at making people believe that they are affiliated with Publishers Clearing House when they're not.
Logos can be copied, names of legitimate PCH employees can be found on Google, signatures can be forged... According to the complaint, the deception starts from the company’s homepage, where consumers complete an “Official Entry Form” with a large button with phrasing like “WIN IT! PCH Media is built upon an iconic sweepstakes and entertainment brand with a 70+ year history of engaging and activating consumers.
The FTC’s complaint charges that where PCH included disclaimers or clarifying information on shopping pages, it was in small, light font, below the “call to action” buttons, and overlooked by consumers. If you've gone through the steps above, but you're still not sure if your win notice is legitimate, contact PCH directly to ask them to verify your prize. You may have to fill out an affidavit to verify eligibility if you win, but not when you enter. If the entry form asks for this kind of personal information, it's a sign you are on a spoofed website. If your prize notification asks for money to pay for taxes, to release the prize, to pay for customs, or for any other reason, it's a scam.
If you receive a telephone call from someone claiming you have won a sweepstakes prize and are asked to send money — STOP — you have not heard from a legitimate sweepstakes company. If you receive a check claiming to be for a legitimate sweepstakes prize and are asked to cash it and wire or send a portion back — STOP — you are the victim of a fraudulent contact. Consumers should always remember that at Publishers Clearing House no payment or fee is ever necessary to enter or claim a prize. Our continued success in today's new digital publishing environment is built on PCH's unique, free-to-play, chance-to-win propositions. Data and analytics have always been at the core of the PCH business strategy to optimize relevant engagement through personalized offers based on first-party relationships. We continue to evolve as a multi-channel media company that combines digital entertainment and direct-to-consumer marketing and commerce, creating an attractive destination for consumers, marketers, and retailers alike.
You'll also need to be extra cautious in the future because scammers consider people who have already been scammed to be easy prey, and there's a good chance that you will be targeted again. As was mentioned a moment ago, Publishers Clearing House doesn’t just deal in magazine subscriptions but has expanded into a plethora of different product categories for our fans to enjoy. PCH provides customers with assistance and can answer any sweepstakes questions you may have. If you wish to report a scam contact to us, you may do so by clicking here to fill out and complete a scam incident report.
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