untrappable

Publishers Clearing House scam: the fee is the tell

Editorially reviewed · Last updated July 15, 2026

Yes — this is a scam. The real Publishers Clearing House never calls to tell you that you won, and you never pay a fee to collect a prize.

Incoming call
(800) 555‑0148
maybe: Publishers Clearing House
Voicemail transcript

“Congratulations! This is the Publishers Clearing House prize patrol. You've won $2.5 million and a new car. To release your winnings today, we just need you to cover the delivery and tax fee. Please stay on the line and have a gift card ready — your prize expires if you hang up.”

The Phone call, as received

Other versions you might get: The same lie arrives by mail with a fake check to "cover fees," by text or email about "claiming your prize," or as a Facebook message from a cloned PCH account — sometimes naming Mega Millions or a state lottery instead.

What to do right now

  1. Hang up. Don't press a key, don't stay on the line, don't give your name, address, or bank details.
  2. Never pay a fee. No gift cards, wires, crypto, or "tax" payments — a real prize never costs money to claim.
  3. Report it. File at reportfraud.ftc.gov and report the call to Publishers Clearing House's fraud page.
  4. Block the number (scammers spoof and rotate numbers, so this may not stop all of them).
  5. If you already paid or shared bank details, call your bank right away to stop or reverse the payment, and if you bought gift cards, contact the card company to ask them to freeze the funds.

How to make sure it never bites you

These calls reach you because your number sits on lists that scammers buy and trade. Cut the volume and learn the moves that shut prize scams down — see how to stop scam calls.

Untrappable · Public service advisory

Stop the next one at the source

The calls keep coming because data brokers sell your number. Cutting that off is the only thing that reduces the volume — blocking one number won't, they just rotate. Start with the free steps.

Optional — if you'd rather it was handled for you

To actually cut the volume, a data-removal service files opt-out requests across the brokers selling your number and keeps you off their lists. You can do this by hand for free — the service is worth it because the removals don't stay put.

See data removal →

Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our verdicts. Why we can still be trusted.

Keep this · forward it to someone who needs it

Frequently asked

Is Publishers Clearing House a real company, or is the whole thing a scam?
Publishers Clearing House does run a real, free-to-enter sweepstakes — which is exactly why scammers borrow its name. The FTC's rule cuts through it: no real sweepstakes company will ever contact you asking for money to claim a prize, and real sweepstakes are free to enter and win by chance. So the company is real, but any call, text, or letter that says you won and then wants a “fee,” “tax,” or your bank details is the impostor — not PCH. To be sure, look up PCH's contact info yourself and reach out directly; never trust the number or link the message hands you.
I got a call or letter saying I won Publishers Clearing House — is it a scam?
If it asks you to pay anything — a fee, taxes, shipping, a “processing” charge — to release the prize, yes, it's a scam, full stop. The FTC lists three signs of a prize scam: if you have to pay to get your prize, it's a scam; if you have to pay to boost your odds, it's a scam; and if you have to hand over your bank account or card number to claim it, it's a scam. Real prizes are free. Delete the message without clicking any link, and don't send money or personal details.
The caller ID or letter says PCH but it feels real — how do I be sure?
Scammers deliberately borrow the names of well-known companies that run real sweepstakes, and caller ID, logos, and letterhead are all easy to fake. The FTC's advice is to look up the real company's contact information yourself and reach them directly — never rely on the phone number, link, or address in the message. Watch for the fake-check move too: if they mail a check and ask you to send some of the money back, that check bounces weeks later and the bank makes you repay it.
I got a Facebook message or DM saying I won Publishers Clearing House — is that real?
No. A social-media message is not how a real sweepstakes win arrives — the FTC warns that scammers message people by text, email, and social media claiming they've won, and tells you not to respond or click any link, because the link can drop malware on your device. The account will look convincing: cloned PCH profile photo, real-looking prize graphics, sometimes a hijacked friend's account vouching for it. The moment it asks for a fee, your bank details, or a gift-card code to "release" the prize, you have your answer. Don't reply — report the account to the platform, and report the scam to PCH's own fraud page.
How do I report a Publishers Clearing House scam?
Report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov — that's the front door for prize and lottery scams. If the fake prize notice arrived in the mail, also report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at uspis.gov/report: using the mail to run a prize scam is a federal crime, and that's the agency that investigates it. Publishers Clearing House also takes reports of people impersonating it at scamreport.pch.com. Reporting takes a couple of minutes and it's what puts the caller's number and script into the pile investigators actually work from.

Related scams

Sources

A public service

Help protect someone else

Scams spread because people stay quiet about them. If this could have fooled you, it can fool someone you know — a parent, a friend, the family group chat. Passing it on is the easiest good thing you'll do today. It's safe to forward, and stands on its own as a record for a bank or the police.