The Georgia Department of Law’s Consumer Protection Unit has received a number of complaints about scammers posing as representatives from Publisher’s Clearing House.  The scammers call consumers and tell them they have won a big prize through the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes. They then instruct the consumer to send several hundred dollars via wire transfer or a Green Dot MoneyPak card to secure their prize or pay for fees or taxes.  Consumers who comply soon discover that the “big win” they had imagined was actually a win for the scammer who made off with the consumer’s money. 

To help you avoid Publishers Clearing House scams, the Consumer Protection Unit offers the following tips:

• Never pay money to receive a prize.Not only is this a sure sign of a scam, it is a violation of Georgia law.

• PCH sweepstakes are always free to enter, and there is never a fee associated with winning.

• PCH doesn’t call ahead to say you’ve won; they notify winners of major prize awards in person via their Prize Patrol.

If you suspect something may be a scam or if you have been the victim of a scam, contact the Georgia Department of Law’s Consumer Protection Unit at www.consumer.ga.gov or (404) 651-8600.