Abington Police Department warns residents of newest scam to hit township

The Abington Township Police Department is warning its residents about an on-going scam that is affecting people in the township and neighboring areas. 

The scam involves actors who are pretending to be representatives from Publishers Clearing House (PCH). It’s a multi-pronged effort as they have been reaching out to potential victims by phone, email, text, or social media, and claiming that big cash prize has been won. 

The Abington Police Department is reiterating that this is indeed a scam. 

“Don’t fall for fake prize claims,” officials said. “Scammers are pretending to be Publishers Clearing House (PCH) representatives. This is a scam.”

The Abington Police Department is helping its residents by giving some common-sense tips to sniff out the potential scam:

• They ask you to pay a fee to claim your prize (real prizes from PCH are always free).
• They demand personal information like your Social Security number or bank account.
• They use urgency or threats ("Act now or lose the prize").
• They contact you through unofficial channels, like random calls, texts, or social media messages.
• They ask you to keep it a secret—a real prize doesn’t require silence.
  
  

If you are contacted by a potential scammer, hang up or delete the message — don’t engage with “representative;” Also, do not send money or gift cards to anyone claiming you’ve won.