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Scam alert

A Caller Says You Won a Car but Must Pay First? There Is No Car

Updated · First posted

Rhea County, TN · newschannel9.com · Arrives by a phone call or a letter

The short answer

A caller or letter that says you have won a car or a prize, then wants money, gift cards or personal information before you can collect, is running a scam. In October 2026, the Rhea County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee warned of calls saying people had won a vehicle, and a sheriff's office in Ohio and police in Connecticut warned of prize letters using the Publishers Clearing House name that asked for fees or came with a fake check. A real prize should not cost you money to collect. Hang up, or shred the letter.

What is happening

In October 2026, the Rhea County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee warned that scammers were contacting people and telling them they had won a vehicle, then asking for money or personal information before the person could claim the supposed prize, WTVC and WDEF reported. The sheriff's office told residents never to send money to someone who unexpectedly contacts them demanding payment, never to give banking information, credit card numbers or other personal details over the phone, and noted that scammers can disguise their phone numbers to make calls look legitimate. The same month, the Champaign County Sheriff's Office in Ohio warned of prize letters with real-looking Publishers Clearing House labeling that tell people to deposit an enclosed check, withdraw a large amount in cash and call a number, where the scammer collects "fees," WDTN reported, and police in Oxford, Connecticut, said a resident got a Publishers Clearing House prize letter demanding taxes or fees paid with gift cards, Patch reported.

How to recognize it

  • You are told you have won a car, and you have to pay something or share personal details before you can get it.
  • You never entered a contest, drawing, or sweepstakes for a car.
  • The caller asks for banking information, a credit card number, or other personal details over the phone.
  • The call comes out of the blue and turns into a demand for payment.
  • A prize letter comes with a check and tells you to deposit it, withdraw cash, and call a number to pay fees.
  • A prize letter tells you to pay taxes or fees with gift cards.
  • The number on caller ID looks local or official. Scammers can disguise their phone numbers to make calls look legitimate.

What to do instead

  1. Hang up. You do not need to argue or explain.
  2. Do not send money, gift cards, or a payment of any kind to claim a prize.
  3. Do not give your bank details, card number, Social Security number, or other personal information to the caller.
  4. Do not deposit a check that comes with a prize letter, and do not call the number on the letter. Shred it.
  5. If you want to check a call, contact your sheriff's office or police directly, using a phone number you look up yourself.
  6. If you want to tell someone, the rule is: if you have to pay to get a prize, there is no prize.

If it already happened

Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.

  1. Being excited about a prize is natural, and these callers count on it.
  2. If you paid by card or bank transfer, call your bank or card company right away on the number on your card.
  3. If you deposited a check from a prize letter, call your bank right away. The Champaign County Sheriff's Office says the bank will later tell you the check is fraudulent and that you are responsible for the cash you withdrew.
  4. If you shared a Social Security number or account details, start a recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.
  5. Report the call to your local sheriff's office or police, and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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Common questions

Can a real prize ever require a payment before you collect it?
Treat any request to pay before you collect as the sign of a scam, whatever reason the caller gives. The Rhea County Sheriff's Office told anyone who gets one of these calls not to send money or provide personal information.
The number looked local. Does that make it real?
No. The sheriff's office warned that scammers can disguise their phone numbers to make calls appear legitimate. Check by calling a number you look up yourself, not the one on your screen.
Did the sheriff warn about any other calls?
Yes. The same warning described callers who use names listed on the county jail website, pose as sheriff's office employees, and tell family members money must be sent to bond a loved one out of jail. Another alert on this site, Told to Pay to Get a Relative Out of Jail? Call the Jail Yourself, covers that call.

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A Caller Says You Won a Car but Must Pay First? There Is No Car

A caller or letter that says you have won a car or a prize, then wants money, gift cards or personal information before you can collect, is running a scam. In October 2026, the Rhea County Sheriff's Office in Tennessee warned of calls saying people had won a vehicle, and a sheriff's office in Ohio and police in Connecticut warned of prize letters using the Publishers Clearing House name that asked for fees or came with a fake check. A real prize should not cost you money to collect. Hang up, or shred the letter.

Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/you-won-a-car-prize-call-scam

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This alert provides general educational information drawn from the sources above. It cannot determine whether a specific message you received is genuine, investigate an incident, or promise recovery or reimbursement.

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