The Georgia Department of Law’s Consumer Protection Unit has recently received a number of complaints about scammers posing as representatives from Publisher’s Clearing House and asking consumers to send money for their prize.

The scammers call consumers and say they have won a big prize through the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes. They then instruct the consumer to send several hundred dollars via wire transfer or a Green Dot MoneyPak card to secure their prize or pay for fees or taxes.

Consumers who comply soon discover that the “big win” they had imagined was actually a win for the scammer who made off with their money.

To help avoid Publishers Clearing House (PCH) scams, the Consumer Protection Unit offers the following tips:

• Never pay money to receive a prize. Not only is this a sure sign of a scam, it is a violation of Georgia law.

• PCH sweepstakes are always free to enter, and there is never a fee associated with winning.

• PCH doesn’t call ahead – they notify winners of major prize awards in person via their Prize Patrol.

Anyone who suspects a scam or has been the victim of a scam should contact the Georgia Department of Law’s Consumer Protection Unit at www.consumer.ga.gov or 404-651-8600.