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A file photo showing the real Dave Sayer, government director of the Publishers Clearing condo Prize Patrol, ready to convey a $1 million prize to an Orange resident in 2011.
(Frances Micklow/The star-Ledger)
Michael Rowden and his parents have been under no circumstances in for a big payday. They had been the aims of a scam. Rowden's senior citizen folks bought a letter saying they'd gained the massive one: The Publishers Clearing condo Sweepstakes. The letter, showing a pattern assess for $1.5 million, spoke of: "it is our pleasure to announce to you because the winner of our annual JULY giveaway sweepstakes." It talked about they should contact their claims agent, Dave Sayer -- the specific identify of one of the real Publishers Clearing house's prize-givers -- at a specific mobile quantity, to declare the $1.5 million prize. but Rowden diagnosed the letter for what it become: a faux.
"i used to be getting my fogeys mail, so that they have been now not uncovered to this rip-off," he stated. "they're of their senior years and very prone to these letters. remaining yr they obtained a letter with a true check, fraudulently drawn on a real account. a short information superhighway verify uncovered the scam." Rowden did some research concerning the supposed Publishers Clearing condominium letter, and found the letter actually got here from a Canadian tackle -- in spite of the fact that the writers said they had been from the precise PCH tackle on manhattan. He shared what he realized with Bamboozled, hoping to notify different readers -- and their aged folks -- concerning the con. The actual PCH will under no circumstances ship you a letter for prizes over $10,000. For the biggies, you will at all times get a surprise knock in your door, the company said. "We don't notify winners who will be visited with the aid of our Prize Patr ol in advance; we with ease knock on their door with the video cameras rolling," the PCH net site says. "If the winner isn't domestic, we go to brilliant lengths to locate them – at work, at play, on holiday." PCH talked about Prize Patrol participants are easily identified in blue jackets with professional Prize Patrol badges, and they'll at all times arrive in the PCH Prize Patrol van, "champagne, flora, outsized assess, balloons in hand -- and existing big money sweepstakes prizes, in-grownup, to unsuspecting winners."
HOW THE rip-off WORKS
PCH scams come in a few different flavors, but they follow a simple modus operandi. After the meant sufferer solutions the pitch letter, the scammer promises to ship a verify -- constantly a small enhance on the winnings. The victim is suggested to deposit the examine to cowl fees or taxes, and then get pre-paid debit playing cards or wire cash to cowl these charges and taxes. The scammers take the money, leaving the victim with an overdrawn checking account when the assess bounces just a few days later. Others ask victims for a credit card quantity to cover the fees. PCH does a great job informing buyers
about how these scams work. PCH spoke of in case you acquire a check claiming to be from a sound sweepstakes, but you are asked to cash it and wire or ship lower back a component to cover charges, taxes or other costs, stop.
"The assess is not true! consumers should still at all times remember that at Publishers Clearing condo no charge or charge is ever crucial to enter or claim a prize," the net web site warns. same goes in case you acquire a cellphone name claiming you could have gained. PCH stated it not ever notifies its winners with the aid of mobile. PCH noted it additionally by no means notifies most important prize winners by using email or textual content. For prizes beneath $10,000, the business may additionally ship a letter to the winner, it observed. if you receive a letter, that you can check its authenticity by using calling PCH consumer service at 1-800-645-9242. It says you should definitely by no means give a bank card quantity to compile a prize. "Fraudulent scam artists often request this guidance after which go on a spending spree along with your credit card; or wipe out your bank account," the PCH internet web site said. PCH additionally spoke of it is going to by no means contact you on social media. If somebody claiming to be from PCH sends you a chum request on fb, or not it's scam. And PCH and its Prize Patrol -- Danielle Lam, Dave Sayer, and Todd Sloane -- by no means ship inner most messages on facebook. To report a rip-off, call PCH at 1-800-392-4190. in case you obtain a suspicious e mail, ahead it to
. which you can additionally write to: Publishers Clearing residence, 101 Winners Circle, Port Washington, big apple 11050, and record it to the
, and the
.
have you been Bamboozled? Contact Karin fee Mueller at Bamboozled@njadvancemedia.com.
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