Free money? Popular impostor scam is back
MILWAUKEE - Free money? Not so fast. A popular impersonation scam is back in southeast Wisconsin.
Contact 6 is getting reports of the scam just as the company being impersonated is cleaning up its own mess.
Back in the spring, Steve Weinstein got a letter claiming to be from the Publishers Clearing House.
"The first thing that jumped out was that it said, "congratulations!" said Weinstein.
The letter said Weinstein had won $750,000 in a Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. But, the more Weinstein read the letter, the more the wheels in his head started turning.
"I realized there were a lot of typos in there. There were a lot of grammatical errors in it," Weinstein told Contact 6.
Steve Weinstein
Poor use of English language is often the first red flag of an impostor scam. In Weinstein’s case, there were several more.
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The envelope’s return address says PHC not PCH. The envelope listed a Dallas address, but its postmark was from San Diego. The name and phone number given in the letter can’t be confirmed online.
The letter also includes a $7,000 check from "AmeriGas" listing two different check numbers.
Steve Weinstein
"The letter said, "this is to help you with expenses related to claiming your winnings," said Weinstein.
The check may be the biggest red flag of all. Experts say, it’s going to bounce.
"If you’re being asked to send money to claim a prize, it’s not real," said Chris Irving of the Publishers Clearing House. "If you won a real prize … we’ll send you an affidavit."
Chris Irving
The Publishers Clearing House’s famous ‘Prize Patrol’ is legitimate. However, impostors have long taken advantage of a name synonymous with free money.
"You tie into that name recognition to help break down those [red] flags you might technically trigger," said Michael Domke, director of Wisconsin’s Consumer Protection Bureau.
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Domke says this particular impostor scam is consistently among the top reported to the state. But, it was recently the real Publishers Clearing House that ran afoul of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC filed a lawsuit against the company saying it made people believe purchases were necessary to increase their chances of winning. The Publishers Clearing House was also accused of surprise fees for shipping and handling. As part of its settlement with the FTC, the Publishers Clearing House agreed to pay consumers back more than $18 million.
Michael Domke
"The legitimacy of our sweepstakes was never questioned," said Irving. "The [FTC] wanted to make sure that consumers understand that no purchase is necessary."
Weinstein says he’s never even entered a Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes.
"If it seems too good to be true, it’s too good to be true," said Weinstein.
As for who’s behind the impostor scams, its spokesperson said, often the scammers are often outside the country in places like Jamaica and Costa Rica.