Publishers Clearing House scam

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Hello I'm New here! Joined: 27 Aug 2014 Posts: 3

I'm a fan of you guys and what you do. This is my first post on this forum.

I received a phone call today notifying me that I've won a Publishers Clearing House contest. I've never entered such a contest. The guy had an accent and seemed to be disguising his voice. He threw out all sorts of nonsensical jargon. The phone call had several other signs of a scam.

When I engaged the scammer in conversation, he told me to leave work to go to a Walgreens or Radio Shack, where they'd process my paperwork to give me my payment.

I'll post the phone number of the scammer. I've read the rules of the forum, and I believe posting this phone number is okay, because it's the number of the scammer and not a victim. And Publishers Clearing House's phone number is public information, so if I'm wrong that this is a scam, I still haven't divulged anyone's private information.

The phone number is this: 1-876-285-6474.

I did a Google search for that number, and found the following website:

http://mrnumber.com/1-876-285-6474

Someone else reported a similar experience from that number.

I reported the experience to the FBI tips page. And I called my local police station, and they said I could make a report, but that basically nothing would happen with it because I had incurred no loss.

I'm hoping a scambaiter here would be willing to try the number, to verify my suspicion that it's a scam?

If you call that number, you'll get a fake receptionist. If you tell her you received a call about winning money but that the call was disconnected, and if you give her a fake name, she'll look that name up in her system, and sure enough, she'll find it. Then she'll transfer you to the fake rep (Mr. Davidson), who will tell you about your winnings, and give you instructions on how to collect them.

If it is a scam, I don't think it originates in Africa. The main guy has an accent but the receptionist sounds American.

Thanks!
HillsPlainsSea

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 10:31 pm

It's probably a scam as you have said that you never entered. Plus, you gave a fake name and you won. What are the chances that your fake name happened to win the pch? (Has anyone really won?)

Welcome to Eater! Ready stickies and other threads and say goodbye to your old life.

And just an FYI not all scams originate out of Africa, they happen in every country. Razz

Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2014 10:44 pm

Information on phone number range +1 876285X

Number billable as mobile number
Country or destination Jamaica
City or exchange location
Original network provider* Digicel (Jamaica) Ltd

International phone number checks: http://www.numberingplans.com/?page=analysis&sub=phonenr

Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 1:35 am

Welcome to Eater! You may want to post this on Scamwarners.

Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 2:43 am

This is a pretty common tactic from Jamaican scammers. I suspect the number they give out is a premium rate number. The lads call people in the USA, and lure them into calling back. The area code makes it look like the call is domestic, within the USA, so people think nothing of calling, but it's really an international call and the charges add up fast. I'm not sure exactly how the scam works, but somehow the lads get a cut of those phone bills.

I'm going to bombard this number with calls from other lads, if you don't mind.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

Quote:

I'm not sure exactly how the scam works, but somehow the lads get a cut of those phone bills.

I'm going to bombard this number with calls from other lads

X, you know I like and respect you (I hope) but wouldn't this, theoretically, be benefiting the lad?

Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 3:21 am

^ Yes, but it also floods his line with useless and annoying calls and makes it less likely that actual victims will call and get scammed. I don't mind enriching one lad, partially because it annoys and hinders him to receive the barrage of calls, but mostly because it costs the other lads much more to call the number than the receiving lad makes from it.

There's a utilitarian concept that says it is acceptable to harm one person, if by doing so, you can bring about the greatest good for the greatest number. Well, this is the opposite, the greatest harm for the greatest number (of lads). Benefiting one lad is acceptable if it harms several hundred others much more, which this modality does. And even the lad who is "benefiting" doesn't get off scot free. This is the same reason I have no qualms against phone chaining lads' UK +44 87 premium rate numbers either.

I have sent out this number to 400 lads, with an urgent request to call to get the MTCN of the $2000 WU transfer my character sent. Twisted Evil

Not quite a Newb Joined: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 41

Thank you for the explanation, sir.

Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 3:42 am

How does the lad benefit if someone calls him? Does he get credits or something? I have never heard of anyone getting paid by receiving a (personal) phone call.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 27 Aug 2014 Posts: 3

Thanks so much, gang! The info you already provided has been really helpful. It put me on the right track to finding out much more.

In my first post I asked if any of you would call the number to verify it's a scam. DO NOT DO THAT. 876 is indeed a Jamaica area code, and you'd incur International charges. I was charged $2.95 for a 5 minute call, which I'm now trying to dispute with my phone company. (According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Area_code_876">Wikipedia</a> it's indeed possible for 876 numbers to charge additional tolls without alerting you in advance, although it appears this particular one doesn't.)

Apparently the way the Publishers Clearing House scam works involves getting "winners" to buy money pack scratch cards from places like Radio Shack, Walgreens, and Walmart, and then convincing them to give the numbers to the scam artist.

These jerks like to target seniors. <a href="http://www.consumeraffairs.com/scam_alerts/winners_sweepstakes.html?page=2">Here</a> is a thread where victims share their experiences. Sounds like this scam has really hurt some people. AARP even has <a href="http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/info-09-2012/beware-area-code-876-nh1788.html">a page</a> warning seniors against calls from the 876 area code. ScamWarners already has a page on Publishers Clearing House (PCH) scams, <a href="http://www.scamwarners.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=77658&sid=065c67c1c62f2ec16f8fa05cdc5c4aed">here</a>. The BBB also has an informative page on them, <a href="http://www.bbb.org/blog/2013/08/bbb-warns-of-ongoing-jamaican-phone-scams/">here</a>. The comments section at the bottom of that page has sad stories from several victims.

I guess PCH is used in scams pretty frequently, because PCH has their own page on the topic <a href="http://info.pch.com/consumer-information/tips-a-warning-signs">here</a>. They say this:

Quote:

At Publishers Clearing House we do not notify our contest winners by phone... At PCH the winning is always free and you NEVER have to pay to claim a prize award.

I had already reported the call to the FBI. I then also reported it to fraud.org and my state's consumer affairs department.

These lottery scams are a big business in Jamaica, like 419 scams are in Nigeria.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 27 Aug 2014 Posts: 3

Big X, that's so cool! Thanks! There's a wonderful poetry in tricking scam artists into getting scammed by other scam artists.

If the phone line is tied up with these calls, perhaps fewer innocent people will get burned. If the bad guys are busy annoying each other, they can't be using that time to harass other victims.

Plus it's funny.

Elite Baiter Joined: 10 Mar 2013 Posts: 1486

I think i will also put that phone number to the good use.

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