This scam is one of the most prevalent scams aimed particularly at older adults. In it the victim receives a phone call, text, or email, telling them that they have won an exorbitant amount of money in the Publisher’s Clearing House lottery. Most of the victims have never even entered the lottery but fail to recall that fact. The scammer tells the victim that they have won millions of dollars, but that they have to send money in order to pay “taxes” or “processing fees.” They typically ask for thousands of dollars to be sent by wire, cashier’s check, gift cards, Venmo, or PayPal. They tell the victim not to tell friends or relatives because it is intended to be a “surprise.”
Remember, if you have to pay money to get money= it is a scam. If it is too good to be true= reach out to a trusted source before acting. You always have time to verify, do not let them take that away from you. If they insist that you need to pay now, it is a scam, end the conversation. It is ok to hang up.