Publisher's Clearing House Scam / Fraud

DATE & TIME: 06-07-2017 / 10:00 am

LOCATION: Gage County, Nebraska             

OFFENSE: Fraud / Scam – Publisher’s Clearing House

CASE #: 2017-3018

The Gage County Sheriff’s Office has received information from residents throughout the county, including Beatrice and other towns, of a scam involving fraudulent claims of winning a Publisher’s Clearing House prize and the person being notified over the telephone.  According to reports, a person calls, claiming to be from Publisher’s Clearing House, and states the person answering the telephone has won a prize from Publisher’s Clearing House.  The caller then asks for personal information, at first the information requested appears to be innocuous, but at some point personal or financial information is requested.

Publisher’s Clearing House, while not directly responding to these reports, urges caution for people when dealing with people claiming they are calling to tell them they have won a prize, either from Publisher’s Clearing House or any other organization. The website for Publisher’s Clearing House has a Consumer Information section related to frauds.  The web page can be found at https://info.pch.com/?s=scams .

Information such as bank account numbers, social security number, or any credit card or financial information should NEVER be given out to an unsolicited caller and The Gage County Sheriff’s Office urges residents to be cautious about providing personal or financial information to any source. The Gage County Sheriff’s Office website http://www.gagecountysheriff.us/ has information regarding fraud or scams.  Go to the Public Awareness section of the website and open the “Fraud / Identity Theft / Scam section.  A link to the Federal Trade Commission is available at that section for additional information and reporting options.

If anyone suspects they have been a victim of a fraud or scam, they are advised to contact their local law enforcement agency or the Gage County Sheriff’s Office and request to speak to an investigator.

Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson #903

Investigator T. Hanson #90310