The Broome County District Attorney's Office says the office has been alerted to several county residents who have been contacted by people claiming to be from Publisher Clearing House.

In the last several weeks, county residents have reported being contacted from scammers pretending to be reps from Publisher Clearing House, in which the potential victim has won a substantial prize. In order to claim the prize, the victims are asked to send payment of various fees and taxes.

To prevent becoming a victim, know that legitimate sweepstakes organizations do not ask for fee payments upfront to claim the prize and you should never provide personal and/or financial information over the phone or online unless you are certain of the recipient's identity.

The office advises anyone who suspects they may have been targeted by this scam or any other fraudulent activity to report it to law enforcement and their financial institutions if their accounts have been compromised.