Fake Publishers Clearing House Call: How a $22 Million “Prize” Cost a Woman Her Home

A fake Publishers Clearing House call tells you that you have won a big prize but must first pay “taxes and fees,” and the payments never end. In one federal case, a 73-year-old woman sent over $600,000 to couriers over three and a half years, including money from her home. A real prize never requires a payment up front.

What happened

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, Roshard Carty, a 34-year-old Jamaican national, was sentenced in Tacoma to 3 years in prison. The sentence was announced on May 15, 2026.

Starting in 2020, Carty posed as a Publishers Clearing House employee. He told a 73-year-old woman she had won $22 million and a car. To collect, he said, she first had to pay taxes and fees.

From August 2020 to February 2024, she sent more than $600,000 to couriers by FedEx. To keep paying, she borrowed against her home and then sold it.

Prosecutors said Carty contacted her thousands of times.

How the call went

According to the release, the calls had a few key parts:

• A caller claimed to work for Publishers Clearing House.
• He said she had won $22 million and a car.
• He said she had to pay “taxes and fees” before the prize could be delivered.
• He said the FBI was recording the call and that she must tell no one.
• Money was sent by FedEx to couriers, again and again.

The claim about the FBI made the call sound official and gave a reason to stay silent. It also kept her family from finding out.

Red flags

• A call saying you won a prize you did not enter, or did not expect.
• Any request to pay taxes, fees or shipping before receiving a prize.
• Being told to keep the win a secret.
• A claim that the FBI or another agency is “on the call.”
• Requests to send cash or packages by FedEx or another carrier.
• Many calls, sometimes every day, from the same people.

What would have stopped it

• One firm rule: if you have to pay to get a prize, it is not a prize.
• Telling someone. A secret is the scammer’s best tool. Telling a family member or friend often breaks the spell.
• Hanging up when a caller mentions fees, and not calling back.
• Asking the bank before borrowing against a home or making large withdrawals.
• Family noticing the pattern: frequent unknown calls, packages to strangers, or money suddenly tight.

If this happens to your family

• Stop sending money or packages, even if the caller promises the prize is close.
• Call your bank on the number on the back of your card.
• If a package is still in transit, contact the shipping company right away.
• Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and at ic3.gov.
• Call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311), Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm ET. Scammers sometimes pretend to be this hotline, so dial the number yourself.
• Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 for support.
• Speak with your parent without blame. Long-running scams can feel like a relationship, and shame keeps people silent.

When the same scammer calls again and again, it helps if someone else knows. FamilyDefender checks unknown calls while they happen and can warn the parent and alert family when a call looks risky.