A Jamaican woman has been extradited from Panama to face a 29-count federal indictment over a fake Publishers Clearing House prize scheme that told victims to prepay taxes and fees, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, announced. Ashanie M. Campbell, 29, was extradited the week of the Oct. 30 release, and a Las Vegas man, Jeremie L. Cotton, 38, was arrested in December 2025 on charges from the same indictment. Both are presumed innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
How did the prize pitch work?
Prosecutors call it a lottery scam in which the callers posed as Publishers Clearing House. Five victims were contacted by phone and email and told they had won large cash prizes. To collect, they were told to prepay taxes and administrative fees.
The release says the demands did not stop there. After victims paid, they were told more fees were due and were asked for larger payments. The indictment alleges Campbell used an email account with PCH in its name, and that she lived in Jamaica in 2020 before traveling to Panama around May 2021.
Who was the first victim?
The indictment describes Victim 1 as a man from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, who was about 75 years old in 2020. He was told he had won a Land Rover, and the vehicle was later repaired with parts he shipped. Around October 2020, according to the release, it was shipped from an auto body shop in Queens, New York, to a dealership in Kingston, Jamaica, where Campbell took possession.
The release does not give the ages or states of the other four victims, and it does not total the money they sent. Anyone told they have won something and asked to pay first is in the same position Victim 1 was, which is where the question for readers starts.
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What is the Las Vegas man accused of?
Cotton allegedly served as a U.S.-based intermediary who received fraud-derived transfers. Money was also sent from his account to Campbell’s associates, including a Panama bank account belonging to a contact of hers, the indictment alleges. Both defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud and with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments.
Campbell alone is also charged with mail fraud, wire fraud and interstate transportation of property taken by fraud. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs secured her arrest and extradition from Panama.
What penalties are on the table?
The conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud counts each carry up to 20 years in prison, and interstate transportation of property taken by fraud carries up to 10. A conviction can add up to 10 more years for each fraud count if the government proves the offense victimized ten or more people over 55 or targeted people over 55. Supervised release and fines are also possible.
U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller’s office is prosecuting through Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated, with help from the U.S. Marshals Service in Harrisburg.
Where are the defendants now?
Campbell is described as being of Panama City, Panama, and Jamaica, and the release says she was extradited this week from Panama. Cotton was arrested in December 2025 in Las Vegas, where he lives. The release does not say where either defendant is being held or when they are due in court.
What do the Postal Inspectors and the real company say?
Christopher Nielsen, inspector in charge of the Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division, said: “We urge anyone told to pay taxes or fees upfront to collect a prize to stop and verify the claim before sending money.” He added that lottery scams exploit the hope of a life-changing prize and can leave victims facing devastating financial losses.
Publishers Clearing House says on its fraud protection page that “you NEVER have to pay to claim a prize.” The company says its Prize Patrol contacts major winners in person and that it never phones ahead to say someone has won. It also says it does not send friend requests or private messages about prizes on social media, and that smaller prizes can arrive by overnight delivery, certified mail or email. “No payment, fee, tax or any amount is ever required to claim or receive a prize in a PCH giveaway,” the company says.
Where should an unexpected prize notice be reported?
The Federal Trade Commission’s consumer alert on impostors, written by Emma Fletcher, advises: “Never send money to collect a prize, sweepstakes check, or lottery winnings. If you have to pay, it’s a scam.” It says scammers ask for payment by Western Union, MoneyGram, reloadable cards or gift cards because those routes are hard to trace, and some mail fake checks and ask for part of the money back.
The FTC says anyone who is called and asked to pay for a prize should hang up and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The company also has an online scam incident report, and its customer care agents cannot take reports by phone or email. Publishers Clearing House directs anyone who lost money to file with local police and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
Would a prize call get past your bank login before it got past you?
The Pennsylvania victims were allegedly walked from a first fee to a bigger one, with each payment making the next feel necessary. The prize scam works when the person moving the money is the account holder, so the checks have to sit where the money leaves.
Scam-Proof Your Accounts in a Weekend covers the three ways scammers reach your money, including you moving it yourself. Inside is how to lock your bank logins with two-step login, alerts and a verbal password, plus a first-hour plan if a scam gets through anyway.
Get the weekend guide to bank alerts and a verbal password that slow a prize-fee payment →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
