My 95-year old mother won the Publisher's Clearing House

[MossRoad]

When I was a kid, I entered a free promotional drawing at our local hardware store to win a 10-speed bike. A while later, they called me at home to let me know that I won! My dad took me downtown to pick up my prize. As it turned out, I DID win, but I did not win first prize. My prize was some stuff to flush into our septic system to promote bacterial growth. I was NOT pleased. :laughing:

Nice! :laughing:

 

[jaxs]

Three cheers for your mom. It's wonderful she is able to think straight. Jail is to good for that kind of scum.
Sometime in the early 60s a friend asked if I would bring a shotgun and help him out. Naturally I had to have details before going. It's one of the stupidest things I ever did but it's satisfying to recall thieves getting what they deserved. He had me and two more to his house to plan it out before acting the following day. He was to meet a guy to buy new firearms for penneys on the dollar. The 3 of us hid out before the meeting. Two guys pulled up where my friend sat in his car,motor running. They talked from car to car a few minutes before they got out and walked around to raise trunk where guns were said to be. We came out shouting "police,get on the ground". There were no guns but they did have clubs and brass knucks in the trunk. Took fifty some odd dollars plus everything they had worth anything,including shirts,pants and car keys and left them handcuffed to a power line post brace cable. I marvel that I survived those days when I felt invincible.

 

[buck12]

There's a special place for people who prey on children and old people... and you don't look upward to see where they are headed.
A little time in jail with a biker named Bubba would be a good place for them in this life.

Amen!

 

[TnAndy]

When I was a kid, I entered a free promotional drawing at our local hardware store to win a 10-speed bike. A while later, they called me at home to let me know that I won! My dad took me downtown to pick up my prize. As it turned out, I DID win, but I did not win first prize. My prize was some stuff to flush into our septic system to promote bacterial growth. I was NOT pleased. :laughing:

Friend of mine won a trip for best sales to Cancun, Mexico at work. I asked with straight face "Where did the first place prize get to go ?"

 

[Sigarms]

Funny

Just the other week I got a call on Saturday informing me I won the Publisher's clearing house grand prize, and the guy wanted me to meet someone at the closest Dollar General within 15 minutes - hour.

I was seriously interested in how this scam was going to work AND I was at the local gas station buying some gas / diesel for lawn work, and as I told him, the Dollar general was only about 70 yards away from me as I was looking at it. Then I had to go in and a dollar general employee would hand me an envelope.

First thing was I gave him a fake name and address when he asked, no clue on his end. Second, when I just started asking some basic common sense questions, couldn't get a straight answer.

Just ended up telling him that I was glad I didn't have to try to rip people off to make a living.

 

[TnAndy]

Funny

Just the other week I got a call on Saturday informing me I won the Publisher's clearing house grand prize, and the guy wanted me to meet someone at the closest Dollar General within 15 minutes - hour.

I was seriously interested in how this scam was going to work AND I was at the local gas station buying some gas / diesel for lawn work, and as I told him, the Dollar general was only about 70 yards away from me as I was looking at it. Then I had to go in and a dollar general employee would hand me an envelope.

First thing was I gave him a fake name and address when he asked, no clue on his end. Second, when I just started asking some basic common sense questions, couldn't get a straight answer.

Just ended up telling him that I was glad I didn't have to try to rip people off to make a living.

He actually wanted you to meet someone face to face ? I couldn't have resisted that one ! Best I've ever been able to get out of one is a mailed, fake certified check for something I was selling on CL.

 

[Sigarms]

He actually wanted you to meet someone face to face ? I couldn't have resisted that one ! Best I've ever been able to get out of one is a mailed, fake certified check for something I was selling on CL.

Yes, I couldn't resist as well and told him I'd meet them at the dollar general. Then it went to I needed to go in and they would have an envelope waiting for me when originally they were goind to drive a new car to me at the dollar general for my "winnings".

The story kept changing slightly the more and more we talked and it all came down to I had to go into the dollar general. I had already spent 10 minutes on the phone with the guy (as noted, just happen to be at the gas station getting gas) and I was feeling like that could of been enough wasted time on my end.

 

[TractorGuy]

When I was a kid, I entered a free promotional drawing at our local hardware store to win a 10-speed bike. A while later, they called me at home to let me know that I won! My dad took me downtown to pick up my prize. As it turned out, I DID win, but I did not win first prize. My prize was some stuff to flush into our septic system to promote bacterial growth. I was NOT pleased. :laughing:

This is a whole nother topic. The deceptive practice in advertising has contributed to the moral decay of our country. In my opinion the people that come up with and employ these practices are not much better than the overseas scammers.

 

[dodge man]

I remember years ago there was a give away box in a grocery store for a free home cooked meal if you entered to win. Guess what, everyone won. The guy sold pots and pans and he came to your house, family and friends were invited. He was very good, a polished act. We didn’t buy any but two set of my in-laws did and someone I work with bought a set at another “party” he went to. This guy was one of the best salesman I have ever seen. It was pretty decent stuff but probably double it’s real value. As I recall a set was about $1000.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

My 95-year old mother won the Publisher's Clearing House (PHC) grand prize yesterday. The guy who called her said he would be at her house in about two hours with her prize. She is still pretty sharp so she called my oldest sister on her cellphone while the guy was talking to her on her landline. That sister was babysitting and couldn't leave so she called me and my other sister. We both drove to Mom's house to see if anybody showed up. About thirty minutes after the first call the guy called again. My sister talked to him. All we had to do to collect this huge prize was go to a store, he gave us a list of stores, and get two $500 gift cards and give him the numbers over the phone. This was to "register" for the prize. I was proud of my sister. She kept the guy on the phone for more than thirty minutes with Mom and me laughing . We offered him cash when he showed up with the prize. Couldn't do that. Take double the money out of the prize, couldn't do that either. We HAD to register with $1000 worth of gift cards over the phone before we could get this million dollar prize. I called the Sherriff's office and told them we were trying to get him to come over. A nice lady said that if we did to call 911 and a deputy would get there ASAP because this has been going on all over. Sister finally told him to get a life and an honest job and hung up on him. And ten minutes later he CALLED AGAIN. I talked to him and I don't think he will ever call back. Tell your older parents, aunts, uncles, neighbors that nobody will call them on the phone about winning a prize. Or from the IRS and other government agencies. All correspondence is done by mail. These calls are SCAMS. And yes, we all stayed six feet apart on the carport.

Unfortunately after I posted the above on Facebook this morning she was called again by the same guy. She hung up on him. And a Facebook friend said her husband's grandmother had sent the Scammers money several times before the family found out about it. The family doesn't know how much she lost.

RSKY

Thanks for the heads up.

I actually do know of a person who won. It went to his head. He is an old buddy's uncle. We call him Uncle Jack. He went from drinking a few cold beers daily with his old farmer buddies at a divy country bar, to eating oysters on the half shell and acting all ritzy. One of the first things he did was go tell all his drinking buddies, that they were all a-holes and to never call him.