What are opinions on pchcom?

Answer 1

Yes.

Publishers Clearing House (Itself none to reputable) has put out an advisory that people are using their name to scam people. People receive a fake check, and are asked to send a fee to collect their prize.

Never send an "advance fee" to get a prize. And if you have a check, take it to your bank, try and deposit it, and actually wait for it to clear! (It won't.)

Now, that scam is contrasted with what I know of the real Publishers Clearing House, in which they trick people into buying hundreds of dollars worth of magazine subscriptions under the mistaken impression that this will increase their odds of winning! That's "legit" though, as they have all the proper disclaimers in very fine print on their big and gaudy brochures with large print implications that you are just about to win!