Dick Clark and Ed McMahon will not be showing up anytime soon at your front door with oversized checks from American Family Publishers.

The celebrity spokesmen are among those accused of taking part in an “unethical, oppressive and unscrupulous” tactic to sell more magazine subscriptions, according to US Today.

Florida and 31 other states have filed lawsuits against American Family Publishers for trying to dupe people into believing that they had won $11 million.

Bob Butterworth, Florida’s attorney general, filed charges in his state after two Georgetown University Law Center professors filed a class action suit in Maryland on January 30th.

A statement from the American Family Publishers said, “Our mailings are not deceptive and are not written to be. In fact, the language used in our mailers is purposefully clear and is understood by those who read them.”

They also said the company has paid out over $77 million in prize money and claimed that their mailings are not designed to entice people to fly to Tampa, which is the return address on the entry form.

Unfortunately people from all over the country flew to Florida to collect their supposed winnings. And, they all returned home empty handed.

The sweepstakes’ promotional mailings in Maryland read: “It’s down to a 2-person race for $11,000,000 — You and one other person in Maryland were issued the winning number … Whoever returns it first wins it all.”

In addition, the envelope provided for respondents buying magazines says the envelope will get priority processing.

Last week, the company agreed to pay $1.25 million to settle allegations with over 32 states and the District of Columbia.

The company has also agreed to tone down the language of its mailings.

They will stop suggesting that customers are in a select group with improved chances of winning and that people are more likely to get a prize if they buy magazines.

The company also plans on providing a consumer awareness program.

The moral of the story is: if any students out there were spending their time waiting for those envelopes from McMahon and Clark, time for a change of pace.

Ordering magazines to win the $11 million in hopes that they would not have to go to class anymore is not an option, and you better start catching up on your courses.