Minnesota warns of scam that looks like Publishers Clearing House
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A new, “sophisticated” mail scam designed to appear like the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes is targeting seniors across Minnesota, the state Commerce Department said Tuesday as it urged people not to fall for it.
Minnesotans are receiving letters mimicking the branding of Publishers Clearing House, the well-known direct marketing company, announcing they have won the “100 Million Dollars Super Cash Giveaway Promotion,” Commerce Department officials said in a statement.
The letter includes an enclosed check of approximately $6,000 to cover “insurance and attorney fees.” Recipients are instructed to contact the “claims manager” before cashing the check to receive further information on the prize — and warned not to discuss their win with third parties “as required by Federal and State laws.”
The scam is particularly devious because when the “claims manager” is called, the recipient answers the call with, “Publishers Clearing House, how may I help you?” the Commerce Department said.
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“The caller is instructed to cash the check and then wire money to the scammer as soon as possible in order to process their multi-million dollar winnings. The original check then bounces, and the recipient has lost the money they wired and incurs returned check charges,” the department said.
Commerce offered these tips to avoid being taken:
Do not wire money or send a money order, gift card or cashier’s check. It is almost impossible to recover these funds if you have been scammed.
Be wary of urgent requests. Do not fall for a pitch that encourages you to “act now” or creates a false sense of urgency.
Never rely on information you receive in a letter or email. Look up contact information yourself and call Publishers Clearing House, or whatever company sent you the letter, directly if you have any questions.
The Commerce Department said it was alerted to the scam by a southern Minnesota woman who received one of the letters and found it too good to be true.