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Publisher’s Clearing House

Jericho, NY
On Your Side
Publishers Clearing House Checks Stop For Winners After Bankruptcy Sale: Report Publishers Clearing House Checks Stop For Winners After Bankruptcy Sale: Report Publishers Clearing House Checks Stop For Winners After Bankruptcy Sale: Report
Publishers Clearing House Checks Stop For Winners After Bankruptcy Sale: Report Several longtime Publishers Clearing House winners, including those who relied on their prizes to pay bills, may never see their millions in promised winnings, according to a report. Ten prize winners are among PCH's largest unsecured creditors, according to federal court records obtained by The New York Times. The Jericho, New York-based sweepstakes giant filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in April. PCH reported liabilities between $50 million and $100 million, with assets of just $1 million to $10 million. In July, online casino operator ARB Interactive bought PCH ou…

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by Chris Spiker
Chatham-Ghent, NY
Breaking News
$10M Lie: Sweet-Talking Scammer Conned Chatham Victim Out Of Thousands, Police Say $10M Lie: Sweet-Talking Scammer Conned Chatham Victim Out Of Thousands, Police Say $10M Lie: Sweet-Talking Scammer Conned Chatham Victim Out Of Thousands, Police Say
$10M Lie: Sweet-Talking Scammer Conned Chatham Victim Out Of Thousands, Police Say A fraudster convinced an elderly Capital Region man he had won millions in a sweepstakes, then walked away with tens of thousands in cash, police said. Lance Norman, 36, of Queens, was arrested on Monday, May 12, in connection with an elaborate Publishers Clearing House scam that targeted a victim in Columbia County, according to New York State Police. A Chatham man told troopers he received a phone call claiming he had won $10 million and a new Mercedes-Benz. The caller instructed him that in order to claim the prize, he needed to pay taxes up front. The victim handed over approximately $…

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by Michael Mashburn
National Interest
$18.5M In Checks Going To Deceptive Sweepstakes Victims, FTC Says: See If You Qualify $18.5M In Checks Going To Deceptive Sweepstakes Victims, FTC Says: See If You Qualify $18.5M In Checks Going To Deceptive Sweepstakes Victims, FTC Says: See If You Qualify
$18.5M In Checks Going To Deceptive Sweepstakes Victims, FTC Says: See If You Qualify More than 280,000 people will receive checks after they were targeted by misleading sweepstakes emails, federal regulators said. According to the Federal Trade Commission, more than $18.5 million in refunds will be sent to 281,724 consumers, the agency said in a news release on Wednesday, April 30. The FTC found that Publishers Clearing House misled shoppers through deceptive online marketing and emails. An FTC investigation found that PCH tricked predominantly older and lower-income people into buying products. The shoppers were given the false impression that making the pur…

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by Chris Spiker
National Interest
Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say
Scammers Posing As Well-Known Businesses, Agencies: Here's What To Know, Feds Say Federal authorities are sounding the alarm over scams that impersonate well-known businesses and government agencies.  In 2023, data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alone show more than 330,000 reports of business impersonation scams and nearly 160,000 reports of government impersonation scams. That amounts to nearly half the frauds reported directly to the agency, the FTC said. Combined, reported losses to these impersonation scams topped $1.1 billion for the year, more than three times what consumers reported in 2020. Reports show an increasingly blurred line between busine…

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by Joe Lombardi
Massapequa, NY
Breaking News
$250K Scam: Brooklyn Man Nabbed For Alleged Long Island Scheme $250K Scam: Brooklyn Man Nabbed For Alleged Long Island Scheme $250K Scam: Brooklyn Man Nabbed For Alleged Long Island Scheme
$250K Scam: Brooklyn Man Nabbed For Alleged Long Island Scheme A 27-year-old was nabbed after police said he scammed a Long Island resident out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Nassau County Police announced the arrest of Brooklyn resident Jamario Smellie on Friday, April 5 for the Valley Stream incident that occurred months prior. In September 2022, Smellie reportedly called his victim, a 94-year-old man, at his home. He claimed to work for Publishers Clearing House and told the Valley Stream victim that he had won a large sum of money, but first needed to pay taxes before he could take home his winnings. Believing the scammer, the victim wr…

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by Sophie Grieser
Massapequa, NY
Breaking News
$200,000 ‘Winner’ Scam Targets Long Island Woman: Police $200,000 ‘Winner’ Scam Targets Long Island Woman: Police $200,000 ‘Winner’ Scam Targets Long Island Woman: Police
$200,000 ‘Winner’ Scam Targets Long Island Woman: Police A Long Island woman was scammed out of over $200,000 total in a scheme that made her believe she was the winner of millions. On Thursday, May 4, a 75-year-old Seaford resident received a call from a stranger who told her that she was the winner of a $6 million prize from Publisher’s Clearing House, according to Nassau County police. However, the scammer told the woman that she needed to pay the taxes on the winnings prior to receiving them. Over the next week, the woman made multiple withdrawals totaling $136,300 and sent the payments to an address in Florida. In addition, the woman se…

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by Sophie Grieser
Wyckoff-Franklin Lakes, NJ
Breaking News
WHEW: Phony $18M 'Prize' Nearly Convinces Wyckoff Woman, 82, To Give Scammer $10,000 WHEW: Phony $18M 'Prize' Nearly Convinces Wyckoff Woman, 82, To Give Scammer $10,000 WHEW: Phony $18M 'Prize' Nearly Convinces Wyckoff Woman, 82, To Give Scammer $10,000
Whew: Phony $18M 'Prize' Nearly Convinces Wyckoff Woman, 82, To Give Scammer $10,000 An 82-year-old woman from Wyckoff came within a whisker of losing $10,000 to a scammer who managed to con her out of $500 by claiming that she’d won $18 million and a new luxury vehicle, authorities said. The caller from an unknown number told the woman that she'd won a Publishers Clearing House grand prize, Police Lt. Joseph Soto said. However, the caller said she’d have to buy $10,000 worth of gift cards – and then provide the numbers on them – to collect her prizes, Soto said. The woman bought a $500 card and gave the information to redeem it to the caller, the lieutenant said. He then…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Elizabeth, NJ
Breaking News
SHAMELESS: NJ Con Woman Admits Swindling Elderly Victims Of $675K In 'Lottery Winner' Scam SHAMELESS: NJ Con Woman Admits Swindling Elderly Victims Of $675K In 'Lottery Winner' Scam SHAMELESS: NJ Con Woman Admits Swindling Elderly Victims Of $675K In 'Lottery Winner' Scam
Shameless: NJ Con Woman Admits Swindling Elderly Victims Of $675K In 'Lottery Winner' Scam A New Jersey woman admitted scamming seniors nationwide out of huge sums of money -- including $500,000 from one 94-year-old victim -- by telling them they'd won the lottery. Shanile Lyle, 28, of Orange, was part of an international crew that called and conned seniors across the U.S. out of at least $675,000, federal authorities said. The vulnerable victims “received telephone calls alerting them that they had won large sums of money and various other prizes,” according to a complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Newark. They were then told they'd have to "pre-pay" taxes in order to c…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Highland Lakes-Vernon, NJ
Breaking News
Don't Fall For It: Franklin Police Warn Of 'Publishers Clearing House' Scam Don't Fall For It: Franklin Police Warn Of 'Publishers Clearing House' Scam Don't Fall For It: Franklin Police Warn Of 'Publishers Clearing House' Scam
Don't Fall For It: Franklin Police Warn Of 'Publishers Clearing House' Scam Franklin police are warning the public of a recent phone and mail scam. Several residents have reported receiving a phone call or letter stating that they’ve won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes, but in order to collect the prize, victims are directed to send money to pay for fees and taxes.  "These types of scams typically direct the victim to send money by Western Union or MoneyGram, or by getting a reloadable card or gift card," Franklin police said. Scammers have also been known to send a realistic-looking check in the mail, which is ultimately found to be fraudulent.&nbs…

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by Cecilia Levine
White Plains, NY
Your Community
Beware Of These Lottery, Sweepstakes Scams, Better Business Bureau Says Beware Of These Lottery, Sweepstakes Scams, Better Business Bureau Says Beware Of These Lottery, Sweepstakes Scams, Better Business Bureau Says
Beware Of These Lottery, Sweepstakes Scams, Better Business Bureau Says Tired of your spouse, friend, children, relative or even yourself getting duped by fraud -- which is exploding on cellphones, mailings and computers? The Better Business Bureau (BBB) produced this new study (also attached below) which offers basic tips to avoid being conned. As the saying goes, if it seems to good to be true -- it probably is.  Sweepstakes, lottery and prize scams are among the most serious and pervasive frauds operating today, according to the BBB.  While the scams’ roots go as far back in the culture as gambling, the fraud continues to evolve with the times -- and now in…

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by Jon Craig