Scams going around · Phone calls

Publishers Clearing House prize scam

Pretends to be Publishers Clearing House (PCH) or another sweepstakes company. A caller says you've won money, a new car or another big prize from Publishers Clearing House. Often it's for a contest you never entered. Before you can get it, they want you to pay "taxes," "shipping and handling" or "processing fees." Or they ask for your bank or personal information.

An example of what it can look like

Not a real message: the details are made up.

(202) 555-0187

Hello, this is Mike from the prize department at Publishers Clearing House. Congratulations, you've won millions of dollars and a new car! Your winnings are being held for you at the bank. To release them, you must pay the taxes and a processing fee today. This is a limited time offer. Press 1 now.

How to tell

• It's a phone call out of the blue saying you won. Often it's for a contest you never entered. The real Publishers Clearing House says it will never call you.
• You have to pay before you get the prize, for "taxes," "shipping and handling" or "processing fees." Real prizes are free.
• The caller rushes you. They say it's a limited time offer. Or they say you must press 1 or call back right away, or lose the prize.
• The story sounds official, like several million dollars waiting for you at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The money is not there.
• They ask for your bank account, credit card or Social Security number. Or they want payment by gift card, cash or cryptocurrency (digital money). Some want you to wire money through a company like Western Union. Others want a payment app (a phone app for sending money), like Cash App or PayPal.

What to do

• Hang up. Don't press 1, and don't call back any number the caller gives you.
• Don't pay anything. Don't give your bank, card or Social Security number. No real sweepstakes company will demand money for a prize.
• Take your time. Talk with someone you trust before you do anything.
• To check on a company, search its name online with words like "complaint," "review" or "scam."

If you already tapped, paid, called or replied

1. If you paid with a credit, debit or gift card, call the number on the back of the card right away. Tell them a scammer tricked you, and ask for a refund. Keep any gift card and its receipt.
2. If you paid by Zelle or a bank transfer (money sent straight from your bank account), call your bank right away. If you used a payment app (a phone app for sending money), like Cash App or PayPal, contact the app right away. Do the same if you wired money through a company like Western Union or MoneyGram. Ask them to refund your money.
3. If you paid with cryptocurrency (digital money), contact the company you used right away. That may be the company that runs the cryptocurrency ATM (a machine where you put in cash to buy it). Or it may be the exchange (the app or website where you bought it). Tell them it was fraud, and ask them to reverse it and refund your money.
4. If you sent cash in the mail, call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service right away at 1-877-876-2455. For a fee, they may be able to stop a package sent within the U.S. before it's delivered. If you sent cash by FedEx or UPS, contact them as soon as you can.
5. If someone has used your Social Security number, report it at IdentityTheft.gov and get a recovery plan. If it hasn't been used, or you aren't sure, go to IdentityTheft.gov/databreach.

How to check for real

Publishers Clearing House (PCH) says it will never call you or ask you to pay money to claim a prize. It also says no purchase or fee is ever needed to enter or win. If you still want to check, look up PCH's contact information yourself. Don't use any phone number or address the caller gave you.

Where to report it

• ReportFraud.ftc.gov, the Federal Trade Commission's reporting site. Publishers Clearing House also sends people there to report scams.
• Your state attorney general or your local consumer protection office
• If a prize notice came in the mail, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455

Free guides that go with this

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Where this comes from

Written from these official warnings, checked 2026-09-25. Lantern is not part of any organization named on this page.

• Publishers Clearing House: Protect Yourself from Imposter Scams
• FTC: Hang up on PCH impersonators
• FTC: Fake Prize, Sweepstakes, and Lottery Scams
• FTC: What To Do if You Were Scammed