Wisconsin woman targeted in Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes scam

Table Of Content

• A closer look at the female re-entry program
• Williams-Sonoma Will Pay Record $3.17 Million Civil Penalty for Violating FTC Made in USA Order
• The little-understood reason why clearing homeless encampments became harder in California than most other states
• FTC Refunds to Consumers
• Homeless encampments are on the ballot in Arizona. Could California, other states follow?

Then, in 1985, our company began to expand its suite of product offerings into a diverse set of categories including collectibles, household appliances, entertainment devices and so much more. This decision has helped to shape Publishers Clearing House into what it is today. Sources of revenue for the company are digital advertising, search advertising and the sale of merchandise and magazines offered as bill-me later free credit, with 100% satisfaction guaranteed. If your contact information has changed and you want to continue to receive opportunities to enter sweepstakes and other special offers from PCH, use their "Ask Us" contact form, select the "Account Updates" option, then pick the "Change of Information" option.

A closer look at the female re-entry program

Our continued success in today's new digital publishing environment is built on PCH's unique, free-to-play, chance-to-win propositions. Data and analytics have always been at the core of the PCH business strategy to optimize relevant engagement through personalized offers based on first-party relationships. We continue to evolve as a multi-channel media company that combines digital entertainment and direct-to-consumer marketing and commerce, creating an attractive destination for consumers, marketers, and retailers alike. The Federal Trade Commission works to promote competition and protect and educate consumers. The FTC will never demand money, make threats, tell you to transfer money, or promise you a prize. Learn more about consumer topics at consumer.ftc.gov, or report fraud, scams, and bad business practices at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Williams-Sonoma Will Pay Record $3.17 Million Civil Penalty for Violating FTC Made in USA Order

Albertville man wins $1 million in Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes - WAFF

Albertville man wins $1 million in Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes.

Posted: Thu, 31 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Over 40% of PCH's profits go to trusts for the benefit of charities that support the arts, the environment, medical research and services and other worthy causes. Jenny Salazar, 35, has been incarcerated for 13 years and expects to get out next year. She praised the “California Model” for the “more humane treatment” of those who are incarcerated, which among other things gave her the chance to participate in the re-entry program. Pierson’s classes include about eight to 10 women at a time, so they can all have access to a computer in the small classroom at Saint John’s. Property owners say the situation has improved, but they are resentful that the city let it get that bad. One property owner, Angela Ojilie, keeps photographs of the cat that someone set on fire, and that she eventually nursed to health.

The little-understood reason why clearing homeless encampments became harder in California than most other states

The Postal Service and Publishers Clearing House also recommend evaluating letters to see how many organizations and entities are listed as affiliated sponsors or supporters of a contest. Irving advises people to be wary of letters that "throw the names of many different companies in hopes to establish legitimacy." Kuehl is the second reader to contact Public Investigator in the past year about receiving suspicious mail promising financial gains. According to a report by the Federal Trade Commission, more than 42,000 Americans lost a total of $81 million due to mail fraud scams in 2023. Immediately, Kuehl thought her sudden stroke of financial luck seemed unlikely. She didn't recall entering any contests or filling out a document that would have warranted the cash reward.

FTC Refunds to Consumers

As for more recent tracking of the female re-entry programs’ results, Xjimenez said 24% of current participants are employed, and 43% are getting education and training. Laura Pierson, the vocational program instructor at Saint John’s, said she doesn’t know what happens to her students afterward because she is not allowed to have contact with them after they leave; they are tracked by their parole officers afterward. The researchers also figured out that two of the programs for men cost taxpayers  less than the average annual cost of incarceration, which now stands at more than $132,000.

Follow the FTC on social media, read consumer alerts and the business blog, and sign up to get the latest FTC news and alerts. Instead, the complaint charges, consumers enter an arduous journey through pages of advertisements and sales pitches before they can actually enter the sweepstakes. The advertisements allegedly use tricky wording that conflates ordering and entering to lead consumers to believe they must make a purchase to enter, or that purchasing will increase their chances of winning a sweepstakes, neither of which is true. To give you a quick overview of Publishers Clearing House and our history, the company was founded in 1953 by the Mertz family as a direct marketing magazine subscription organization. While this is still true of Publishers Clearing House today, over the years, the company has grown into a world-famous brand that offers a multitude of products, contests, and entertainment services.

Publishers also received a sales tax exemption of up to $1.6 million on its purchases of equipment for the site. "If someone tells you to pay a fee for 'taxes,' 'shipping and handling charges,' or 'processing fees' to get your prize, you're dealing with a scammer," the agency warned. PCH Media is built upon an iconic sweepstakes and entertainment brand with a 70+ year history of engaging and activating consumers. Our 100% authenticated and addressable audience powers future-proofed marketing solutions that help brands, agencies, and tech partners accurately identify and interact with qualified users. There are lots of fun and heartwarming stories from real PCH winners on these social media channels. Pierson said that in the three-and-a-half years she has been the vocational teacher for the program, at least one of the women who has taken her class has secured a job from a job fair.

In recent years, the sidewalks outside Keys to Change became known as “the Zone” — home to a skid-row-like cluster of tents, with hundreds of people sleeping on the pavement, block after block. We definitely love vintage paperbacks, which we set out in wine crates like records so people can flip through them, cover to cover. I think we’re looking for all the different ways the human experience is interpreted and expressed, and we look to provide a wide variety of ways people communicate those experiences in print. Recognizing the difference between legitimate sweepstakes and other types of offers that may not be legitimate will help you protect yourself and your family. Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. The victim is instructed to deposit the check in their account and immediately return most of it to the claims manager to cover taxes and fees.

About the FTC

When a person wins a major cash prize from Publishers Clearing House, representatives from the company show up unannounced with their "Prize Patrol" carrying a large check, flowers and champagne, he said. PCH has come to be known as the sweepstakes company whose famous Prize Patrol surprises winners on their doorsteps with oversized checks in amounts anywhere from $1,000 to Multi-Millions while TV cameras are rolling. These memorable, real-life reactions of stunned winners have entertained audiences all across America. However, be sure that you are following only official PCH accounts on social media. Fake Facebook page scams were such a problem for PCH that they shut down individual social media accounts for their Prize Patrol members. So do not try to contact Prize Patrol members directly through social media, and be very wary of any requests you get from accounts pretending to be from them.

Tanya’s brother was told the money was needed to pay to have the prize delivered and to pay taxes. Polk said in the press conference that money lost in scams is often difficult to get back. The sheriff's office only recovered around $40,000 of the woman's money, he said. The Federal Trade Commission says the best way to spot a sweepstakes scam is to look at what the party offering the money asks you to do next. If they try to get you to hand over money or send them your account information, it's likely a scam, the agency says. The FTC’s complaint charges that where PCH included disclaimers or clarifying information on shopping pages, it was in small, light font, below the “call to action” buttons, and overlooked by consumers.

You see, behind every PCH shopping experience are our professional merchandise experts who travel the globe with you in mind … bringing back products we imagine you would choose if you were right there with us! Then, our highly-trained quality assurance team makes sure all of our items are in perfect working order before sending them out the door. In a statement, Sheldon L. Shrenkel, chief executive and executive director of the Nassau County IDA, said the agency was aware of Publishers’ state layoff filing and was working with the company to address its job commitments. Publishers said the layoffs will not impact its sweepstakes, which have given out $593 million in prizes over the years. That can help them hunt the scammers down and prosecute them, although it’s difficult to do. So, PCH and the Federal Trade Commission try to educate folks about sweepstake scams that devastate the lives of victims.If you hear from scammers or fall victim, PCH said to contact them and local law enforcement.

In the case of that woman from Michigan - and most of these scams - it's likely authorities will never be able to track down that money. The scam claiming you've won a lot of money is not a new one, but it has evolved to levels that still have viewers wondering if it's real. The company adds that PCH Sweepstakes, which has awarded over $593 million in prizes, hasnot been affected.

Judge Scott Blaney of Maricopa County Superior Court found that police were not enforcing “criminal, health, and other quality of life statutes and ordinances.” Last November, he ordered the city to clear the Zone. She wants that life back, Bauldwin said, but the first step, a shelter bed, has been out of reach. Life has been even harder since the police started enforcing trespassing laws, intermittently kicking her off the property. On a recent spring morning, a pair of homeless outreach workers in their 20s, Tyler Boyd and Charles Schmiedeke, toured the city in a Toyota RAV-4. Each felt a calling for their work — Boyd after his prayer for a homeless man to find a job was answered, Schmiedeke after four years spent living on couches and in cars with his mother.

In March, California voters only narrowly approved Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to spend $6.4 billion to overhaul the state’s mental health system. My favorite book of all-time is probably “Black Boy” by Richard Wright, and I’m currently finishing up Kazuo Ishiguro’s latest, “Klara and the Sun,” a speculative fiction novel told from the point of view of an android companion. An exclusive look at what we’re reading, book club events and our latest author interviews. The letter to the state noted that the FDC is looking for more customers to retain work and stay open. The company says the plant is closing because its only contract, with the Publishers Clearing House, is ending due to the clearing house’s commerce line of business closing.

That letter even included his name, as schemers often use the names of real PCH employees to make their messages sound more legitimate. Her brother sent a gift card to scammers who claimed he won the PCH million-dollar sweepstakes. Judd, 70, is known online for his boisterous press conferences where he shares information about the people that the Polk County Sheriff's Office arrests. Police arrested Michael Lawrence and Max Richards in connection to the scam, but were only able to recover around $40,000 of the money, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a press conference on Friday, according to Fox 13. If you want to go really big, you can enter to win $1.25 million dollars for your dream home. Most folks are familiar with PCH because of our legendary Prize Patrol, who deliver giant (in both size and dollar amount) checks, champagne, and balloons to awestruck winners, all while the cameras are rolling.