Publisher’s Clearing House Scam One Of Top Complaints In State

One of the top complaints in to Wisconsin’s Consumer Protection Hotline over the last month has been reports of the Publisher’s Clearing House Scam. This scam often starts with a phone call or a letter, saying you’ve won the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes, but to claim your prize, you need to send money to pay for supposed fees and taxes.

Michelle Reinen (Rye-nin) with the Department of Ag, Trade and Consumer Protection tells KFIZ News there are some basic things to keep in mind about how prizes and contests work should you ever get a call like this.   

“You don’t have to pay if you’ve won something, and you can’t win if you’ve never entered. So, this scam kind of puts some different twists and turns into it, to really cause confusion but there’s a lot of red flags in it, if you can get away from the emotional state of having won something.”  

Reinen adds that it’s important to verify any phone call or letter with the actual company or organization before taking action, especially before sending a payment.