RAPID CITY, S.D.– After a South Dakota man lost hundreds of dollars to an online scam, the state’s Better Business Bureau (BBB) division is urging consumers to use caution this holiday season. Vice President for the BBB’s South Dakota Region Jessie Schmidt has some advice on how to avoid falling prey.
How the scam came to light
According to Schmidt, the man affected by the scam received an email from someone claiming to be Publishers Clearing House (PCH) saying that he had won the sweepstakes. After giving this imposter his phone number, he began sending them payments in the form of MoneyPak cards they had requested as part of the process of “claiming” the prize.
“We have had this happen over and over again. Scammers look to capitalize on well-known businesses like the Publisher’s Clearing House,” Schmidt said.
However, this scam is not new to Schmidt. She recalls it first coming to her attention in 2020 and it has not gone away. “They continue to really be a common scam that plagues consumers,” she added. “And we’ve heard from several consumers this week that they have been “contacted” by Publishers Clearing House.
How Publishers Clearing House works
In order to have a chance at winning, people must have previously registered in contests and sweepstakes. The same goes for lotteries.
For Publishers Clearing House, once people register they are never contacted by the company…
