LAPD News:

The Los Alamos Police Department (LAPD) has received several reports of residents receiving mail or phone calls stating they won the Publisher’s Clearing House (PCH) sweepstakes.

There are common red flags to spot these scams:

You’re told you won a giveaway you didn’t enter. You’ll never win a competition that you didn’t enter unless you’re accepting the winnings on someone else’s behalf;

Someone called you to announce that you had won. PCH never calls ahead to let you know you won. Phone call award notifications are always a Publishers Clearing House phone scam, and you should hang up immediately; and

Someone claims you must pay to receive your winnings. PCH will never ask you to pay a fee to get your money because that’s illegal. So, if someone asks you to wire money or purchase gift cards for them, they’re almost certainly trying to scam you.

LAPD recommends ignoring these scams and to never provide personal information over the phone.