Publisher’s Clearing House Scam: How My Family Was Targeted—and Why Awareness Isn’t Enough (Ep 34)

Even scam-savvy families aren’t immune.

In this episode of Stolen, host Erin West—former prosecutor and national expert on transnational fraud—shares a deeply personal story: how her own family member was devastated by a Publisher’s Clearing House scam, despite doing “everything right.”

From coached gift card purchases at Target to fake FBI agents, burner phones, and an unrelenting flood of follow-on scams, Erin walks listeners through how modern fraud actually works—and why education and awareness alone are failing victims.

This episode breaks down:

• How Publisher’s Clearing House scams really operate

• Why seniors remain vulnerable even with safeguards in place

• How scammers maintain psychological control over victims

• What happens after the first scam—and why victims are relentlessly retargeted

• Why 2026 must be the year we move from awareness to real, scalable solutions

Erin also lays out what’s next: the technologies, partnerships, and cross-industry collaboration that can stop scams before they reach our loved ones.

If you think “this would never happen to my family,” this episode is for you.