The old Publisher Clearinghouse scam returns

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - It’s a scam that takes you back a little bit.

The caller says you’ve won the Publisher’s Clearinghouse sweepstakes. The pitch is back and people around our area are once again getting it.

It’s been a while since this scam has popped up. It used to be one of the most popular but it’s a good time to remind you how bad it really was.

The irony of scammers recently calling Toledo’s Colleen Florkowski is that she was a long time Start high school teacher.

“The Better Business Bureau was a speaker in my class for many years and taught the kids about scams,” said Florkowski.

So when someone called her out of nowhere recently and made a pitch she was ready for it.

“They said you’ve won $4.5 million and a new car. I said come on guys this is scam don’t go any further,” said Florkowski. The pitch once again tries to create urgency. That crook wants you to act quickly and not even think or consider this being a scam.

“That first teeny tine money you think ‘Oh what good luck’ and then immediately it’s like yeah they’re not going to pull one on this grandma,” said Florkowski.

You’ll never win a contest you didn’t enter and anytime a call comes out of nowhere you need to be very leery of it. They didn’t pull one over on this teacher but the crooks are out there. Whether through sophisticated technology, or the old phone call.

“I always am sad over people that have such brains to figure out things that they’re not using it for nice in the world. I think that is sad,” said Florkowski.

There’s probably a group of people watching having no idea what publisher’s clearing house is but the message is simple. Finding out you’ve come into any money for no reason and with no warning is something everyone needs to be leery of.

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