Don't become a victim of identity theft from sweepstakes scams

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — How exciting it would be to be told you’ve won a major sweepstakes! That’s what fraudsters are counting on when they try to trick their victims.

The Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes announces their winners at the end of June, and fraudsters see this as a scam opportunity.

Every year hundreds of millions of dollars are lost and thousands of complaints come to the Better Business Bureau about sweepstakes and lottery scams.

Impostors claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House call people, telling them they've won, with one catch: they must pay lawyer or broker fees, or IRS taxes, to receive their money.

These types of scams can surrender key personal and banking information which can lead to identity theft.

If you enter sweepstakes, keep track of your entries so you can confirm any winning notifications you may receive and never pay upfront fees to claim your prizes.

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