Publishers Clearing House Impersonators In Abington: PD

ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA — "You may already be a winner!"

You remember the commercials and how Dick Clark and Ed McMahon were even involved in the promotions.

This was Publishers Clearing House. And everyone used to hope that representatives would appear at their door with balloons and a giant check.

Well, Publishers Clearing House may be knocking on your door, police say.

The Abington Township Police Department is warning residents about a scam in which PCH impersonators are showing up.

Police said residents should not fall for fake prize claims.

"Scammers are pretending to be Publishers Clearing House representatives," police said in a Facebook post. "They may contact you by phone, email, text, or social media and claim you’ve won a big cash prize. This is a scam."

Abington Police offered some tips on key signs of a PCH scam:

• They ask you to pay a fee to claim your prize (real prizes from PCH are always free).
• They demand personal information like your Social Security number or bank account.
• They use urgency or threats ("Act now or lose the prize").
• They contact you through unofficial channels, like random calls, texts, or social media messages.
• They ask you to keep it a secret — a real prize doesn’t require silence.

If residents come across these signs, they should:

• Hang up or delete the message — don’t engage.
• Don’t send money or gift cards to anyone claiming you’ve won.