The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has received several reports to BBB Scam Tracker regarding phone calls that impersonate Publishers Clearing House.
Individuals have reported receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be a Publishers Clearing House employee, who then informs them that they have won millions of dollars and a new car, sends a photo of the new car and money, and claims that celebrities will come to the individual’s home in the coming days to award the prizes.
The catch is that to receive the prizes, individuals must first pay a fee for an “IRS requirement” or a “broker’s fee.” To pay these “fees,” individuals are instructed to purchase a gift card and provide the card information to the person on the phone, send money to a specific bank account, or mail it to an address in another state. These fees can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.
The person on the phone may also ask for more personal information, such as an individual’s bank name, bank account, and routing numbers. They may also ask about their current financial situation or their savings accounts.
It is important to end communication without providing information to the scammer. The scammer may call back multiple times and leave several messages.
