CHICAGO â The Better Business Bureau is warning people to be aware of scammers posing as someone from Publishers Clearing House. The contest drawing was held on Sunday, June 30. The winner of the actual sweepstakes will receive $2.5 million upfront and $2,500 a week for life. The Bureau says there could be a spike in 'deceptive calls, texts, and emails' in the coming weeks telling them they have won the grand prize.
In scammer fashion, they would instruct the person to buy a gift card and provide them with the numbers on the back or tell them to send money to a specific bank account or mail it to an address in another state. Those 'fees' can range from a few hundred to thousands of dollars.Scammers may also ask for more personal information, including bank name, bank account, and routing numbers, as well as current financial situation or savings accounts held.