Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol surprises Viera military vet with $1 million check

A loyal Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes contestant for more than 20 years, Viera retiree Thomas Moore Sr. was sitting in his home office Wednesday afternoon, flipping through his online entries.

Then his doorbell rang.

Against all odds, the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol was waiting outside with colorful balloons, a bottle of champagne and a bouquet of red roses.

And an oversized $1 million simulated check with Moore's name on it.

"Oh my God. You've got to be kidding," Moore said in surprise outside his front door, shaking the hand of PCH Prize Patrol celebrity Howie Guja while being filmed by a camera operator and FLORIDA TODAY photographer Tim Shortt.

"We're not kidding," Guja replied.

After Guja told him he won a $1 million SuperPrize, Moore placed both hands over his face. As his initial reaction, he said he will pay off his mortgage and become debt-free — "I'm trembling," he said.

The retired, disabled U.S. Air Force master sergeant has lived in Viera the past four years. After his 24-year military career ended, he worked for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and Texas Comptroller's office before moving to Florida to be closer to his children.

Moore said he kept entering PCH contests over the years "just on faith." He said his winnings will financially assist his special-needs grandson, Peyton. Now 5, Peyton weighed only 1 pound, 2 ounces, and spent his first weeks inside the neonatal intensive care unit at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando.

Moore also plans to vacation in Israel and Africa. He has yet to receive his $1 million prize, as he will consult with PCH officials on payment options.

Founded in 1953 by Harold and LuEsther Mertz as a multi-magazine subscription agency, PCH has awarded more than $578 million in prizes since 1967. Today, the PCH online game network draws more than 10 million unique monthly visitors, and the Facebook page has more than 2 million followers.

Guja asked Moore if anyone else was in his home.

"No. I am single — until they see this commercial," Moore said, laughing and holding his $1 million check. Minutes later, he said he felt like his knees were knocking together.

Wednesday's Space Coast prize award comes on the heels of a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit. On June 23, the FTC sued PCH and accused the company of using "deceptive and manipulative statements" to trick consumers into believing that they must order products before they can enter a sweepstakes, or that ordering products increases their odds of winning.

The lawsuit said PCH targets older and lower-income consumers, with the “core consumer” on its e-commerce website averaging 66 years old.

As an example, the lawsuit said PCH sent millions of emails that reference fictitious forms and documents beginning with a W followed by a hyphen and number or a W followed by a number — the same naming convention the Internal Revenue Service uses on W-2 federal tax forms — to trick consumers into opening and reading the emails.

Last week, PCH agreed to a proposed court order that will require it to "overhaul its sweepstakes entry and sales processes, stop surprise fees, and pay $18.5 million to consumers," an FTC press release said.

In a statement, the company disagreed with the FTC’s assertions and admitted no wrongdoing. PCH said roughly 98% of consumers who browse its merchandise offerings and enter contests do not buy anything.

"I would just underscore that we were glad to be able to resolve and move forward without the expense and distraction of protracted litigation," Christopher Irving, PCH’s vice president for consumer and legal affairs, said in a Wednesday email.

"The no-purchase numbers speak for themselves. The integrity of our sweepstakes and our prize awards was never questioned or part of this matter and as evidenced by the award today, our Prize Patrol will continue to be out on the road awarding prizes to consumers from coast to coast," Irving said.

Moore joked that he has ordered enough PCH items over the years to open his own Five Below store, but he said he knows that a purchase is not necessary to enter the contests.

Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol gives Viera veteran $1 million