Stolen Winning Lottery Tickets: For Greed All Nature Is Too Little
Stolen winning lottery tickets have become an unfortunate trend around the world and a reminder of how greed can lead people to extreme measures. Here’s an updated collection of stories where luck was nearly taken away from rightful winners, along with essential tips to protect yourself.
1. $1 Million Ticket Almost Lost in New York
In a 2013 incident in Hempstead, New York, a store clerk attempted to claim a customer’s million-dollar lottery win by telling him he’d only won $1,000. The customer, suspicious of the claim, returned the next day, leading to the clerk’s offer to pay him $10,000 to keep quiet. Instead, the customer involved the authorities, resulting in grand larceny charges for the clerk and his father, the store owner. This incident serves as a reminder: always sign the back of your lottery tickets and ask for a printed validation slip.
Is The Lotter legit? Who can register?
2. Brothers in California Cheat a $5 Million Winner
Another 2013 case in California involved two brothers who stole a customer’s winning $5 million scratch-off ticket. They initially told the customer he’d won just $5,000 and paid him $4,000, claiming the difference as a store fee. Six years later, when the brothers attempted to claim the prize, investigators discovered the fraud. The customer was eventually reunited with his rightful winnings, but the scheme demonstrates the lengths some will go to when greed is involved.
3. New Orleans Clerk Caught Trying to Claim $10,000 Prize
In 2012, a New Orleans woman’s $10,000 prize nearly slipped away when a clerk claimed her ticket was worth only $3. Suspicious, she had wisely signed the back of her ticket, which led authorities to arrest the clerk after he attempted to cash it himself. His deceit cost him his lottery license and eventually his job. This incident highlights why signing the back of your ticket and verifying winnings independently is crucial.
4. Illinois Store Owner Keeps $25,000 Prize
In Illinois, a store owner convinced a lottery winner that their winning ticket was worth $25 rather than $25,000. The player, feeling uncertain, checked the ticket elsewhere and discovered the deception. The store owner was eventually arrested, and the winner received their prize. This story is a classic example of how even modest winnings can lead to dishonest actions when transparency is lacking.
5. $4.5 Million Scandal Involving Family Members in Canada
In a Canadian case, a group of family members who owned a convenience store attempted to keep a winning ticket worth $4.5 million. They told the customer his ticket wasn’t a winner, but suspicion arose when the family suddenly began living lavishly. After an investigation, they were charged, and the real winner was identified and rewarded. This story highlights the importance of reporting any suspicions to authorities if you feel your winnings are mishandled.
6. The Case of the Stolen $5 Million Ticket in California
In 2021, a California man named Adul Saosongyang allegedly stole his roommate’s winning $10 million lottery ticket. His roommate purchased a scratch-off ticket worth $10 million but didn’t realize it until the next morning. By then, Saosongyang had reportedly swapped the winning ticket with a non-winning one and tried to claim the winnings. Lottery officials, however, became suspicious and contacted the real winner, leading to Saosongyang’s arrest for grand theft. This case is a reminder that even those close to you may sometimes act out of greed.
7. $10 Million Stolen by New York Convenience Store Owner
A Long Island convenience store owner was charged in 2020 after he allegedly tried to keep a customer’s $10 million winning lottery ticket. The store owner told the customer that the ticket was only worth $1,000 and offered him a small payout in cash. The customer became suspicious and reported the incident, which led to the recovery of his ticket and the store owner’s arrest. This situation showcases the importance of independently verifying any significant win.
8. The Arizona Cousins and the $1 Million Ticket
Two cousins from Arizona claimed they lost their winning $1 million Powerball ticket, but investigators found that the two had filed multiple reports attempting to manipulate the system. They allegedly tried to claim the ticket separately to maximize winnings, leading to a criminal investigation. While they didn’t manage to get away with the scheme, it highlighted how close family ties and lottery winnings can lead to fraudulent attempts.
9. Florida Store Clerk Convicted for $600,000 Ticket Theft
In Florida, a store clerk was sentenced to jail after stealing a $600,000 winning ticket from a customer. The clerk told the customer that the ticket was worth only a few dollars and pocketed the winnings for himself. Fortunately, lottery authorities detected the fraud, and the real winner received their prize. The incident sparked further measures in Florida to prevent ticket theft by retail employees.
10. The $4.3 Million Winner Scandal in the UK
In a UK case, a grocery store owner attempted to keep a £4.3 million winning ticket for himself. The ticket belonged to an elderly customer who had asked the owner to check it. When the owner saw the value, he told the customer it wasn’t a winner and later tried to claim the money himself. However, the lottery authorities had a system that alerted them to the rightful owner, and they were able to reunite the elderly man with his winnings.
Tips for Protecting Your Lottery Winnings
To avoid falling victim to such scams, take these steps:
- Sign Your Ticket: Always sign the back of your lottery ticket to establish ownership.
- Check Tickets Independently: Use lottery apps, official websites, or lottery kiosks to check your ticket.
- Get a Receipt: Ask for a printed validation slip whenever checking a ticket with a retailer.
- Be Aware of Legal Action: Report any suspicions to the lottery organization or local authorities.
Stolen lottery winnings underscore the risk that comes with handling a winning ticket, particularly when others may attempt to capitalize on your good fortune. By taking these preventative measures, you can avoid becoming the next headline in a stolen lottery ticket scandal.
Thinking it’s about time to get the truth out and let people know what Mark Steller and Eileen Lilygren had done. After stealing a winning Lottery ticket at the old town market Mark did nothing but lie. See, Mark Steller never validated the winning ticket. Mark never had a cash authorization printed from the lottery terminal for the dollar Eileen Lilygren said the ticket was worth. Mark Steller knows he does not have these documents that he must have, but did not have.
Mark knowing this makes Mark a thief just like his multiple convicted felon best friend Eileen Lilygren. The draw game Eileen said won a dollar, does not have a dollar as a prize. Mark Steller puts on a good show when he needs to. Eileen and Mark need to be held accountable for this grand theft. Due to the amount of stolen cash, this crime is a felony. Mark Steller is on the Orcutt school board now. That needs to be fixed. Mark Steller has a bar now. How do you think he paid for that bar? With his cut of the stolen ticket money. The bar is called Stellers cellers. I think a name chang is in order. How about Stellers Cell. Home of the stolen glass of wine. Feel free to steal something from the bar, Feel free to ask mark Steller why he did not have the validated ticket.There is only one reason not to have validated that ticket, that was to steal the ticket.
If you document the ticket number on the back of the ticket and your name is on the ticket is that justify enough and you are the ticket reader only there to be used but the clerk? They should let the ticket holder scan his own ticket.
What can you do we pay to win the lottery and not for the clerk and the owner to steal it from you serious this is a problem that needs to be solved what can be done is the lottery commission is not make sure these people are the rightful owner of the ticket like suppose to
This is an update from Mitchell. Well, I found out a lot of things about the ca lottery. The Lottery refuses to investigate this stolen ticket, and I found out why. When the ca Lottery found out the Retailer (mark steller) of the store where my ticket had been stolen by Eileen Lilygren (clerk) was on the ballot for the state wide school board election. Well well, now I know why I was told by the Manager of Law Enforcement (Becky Lloyd) that this case would never be investigated. Also, none of my evidence was accepted, which I got from a bank Manager where I bank. This updated information was clear and showed the date and exact time I was at the store. The Retailer agreed on the date, as did I, the statement showed the agreed date. Becky Lloyd would not accept it as evidence of me being there. That’s just the way everything went. I had a witness standing a couple feet away, again Becky Lloyd would not accept a witness. The Retailer told me the Lottery said not to show or tell me anything. That was after I ask the Retailer to show me my validated ticket and cash authorization receipt, which he did not have. That shows Ca. Lottery rules had been broken with no doubt. Now the Lottery is trying to hide the whole thing. They know Becky Lloyd has broken the Law. Becky Lloyd wanted to play hero and save the day, for the lottery and retailer before his election. But in doing so she had to defraud me. Because Becky Lloyd is in law enforcement does not give her the right to break the law and get away with it. It’s not over until I say it’s over…
I bought a lucky dip lottery ticket from a shop in the UK as a gift for my mother. I looked at the ticket and my first thought was that those numbers would never win. They were a weird combination and I memorised them. My mum at the time was in hospital. She went home at the start of COVID. I never got to give it to her so I kept it in my purse. I hadn’t checked it at this point but knew the numbers off by heart. Two weeks after buying the ticket I hadn’t checked it as I wanted to check it with my mum. They then released it was bought in my area and I thought I better check that ticket. And then I don’t know why but the next time I was in my car I emptied my purse and put the ticket under a couple receipts in my car promptly thought that was silly and put in my back jeans pocket. I then went home. I don’t know if I lost the ticket in the house or on the way home from my car. I had a migraine coming on and I forgot what I had done with the ticket. However the next day I checked the numbers online and they where my numbers. I was shocked and went looking for the ticket to no avail. I then applied to the lottery lost ticket division thinking that they would check the store CCTV it did have them because I phoned to check. My mothers illness got worse and she unfortunately died. I eventually went to check in the shop about the ticket and found the lottery did not contact them. I again appealed to the lottery I knew it was my ticket. However I later contacted a lawyer and again to no avail. It was my ticket but the lottery paid it to someone else. I have been a good hard working person all my life. I was put through enormous stress when my mum died as my brother and nephew have made my life a living hell over the funeral and continue to make my life hell including putting my job at risk. I work in a public environment. My biggest regret is losing that ticket because I would have been able to be financially safe and they would not have been able to cause me all the harm that they have. And continue to do so. Of course if I had given my mum the ticket they would have ended up with all the money. They already got her house and her insurance policy as they had her in debt and she didn’t want to leave them homeless. I had bought my tiny flat years ago and have very little but I earned it all myself. To top it all I have a chronic illness. So how much was the ticket for over £50million,
Nelson
They know its a winning ticket before it is even handed to you … do the switch with an already cashed out ticket I fear (could be wrong). Discovered from Asbury Missouri yesterday? Wow, I hope I am not a victim. Dang thing dings its a winner before you get the ticket in your hands to photo and sign. THE SWITCH is enabled by the ding 🙁
I need a great lawyer. My 3.2 million megabucks ticket was stolen by two store workers. I reported it to the state lottery in a letter but never got a reply. I signed my ticket so that is proof that I won. Oh, it happened 38 years ago. Can a great lawyer get me my winnings with interest? George Kaye
I got ripped off by a clerk Eileen Lilygren at OLD TOWN MARKET ORCUTT CA. and the owner Mark Steller helped her get away with it. She told me I didn’t win, I seen her lock my ticket in the register, then changed it to a dollar like that would make it better. WRONG and old Steller lied about everything to cover it up Mark Steller knows the truth and knows an INVESTIGATION will show all his lies Now his little buddy is on the internet telling everybody she won the lottery and talking about her lucky lottery numbers. MARK STELLER YOU LIED TO SAVE YOUR OWN NECK I WANT YOU OUT OF MY TOWN we no longer want your dirty little store here STAY AWAY FROM THIS STORE ITS A RIPOFF
Take pictures of your ticket front and back after you sign them, people! How can you just hand into a stranger millions of dollars before taking any precautions?! I’d go to the store with a camera and recording device if I were you. So sad! And stupid.
This happened to me in 2009 or 2010. I had all numbers except the Powerball and the clerk said big won, but only gave me $100. How can I get the Powerball winning owed to me? Please help!
What do you do if this happened to you? It happened to me when I lived in Atlanta, GA I called the lottery commission in Atlanta I was told “if I did know what day it was on or the number at bottom of the ticket, there’s nothing they could do for me” I even told them I New the first two lines I’d been playing the same two lines of numbers plus three quick picks since I started playing. No help!
These kind of stories don’t surprise me at all! I’m sure there are many more victims.
After a clerk checked my ca. lottery ticket she locked it in the register said it didn’t win so I ask questions she got mad and said OK YOU WON A DOLLAR ALRIGHT!!! She could not even look at me and stopped talking like I was not even there and would not open that register she had stolen my ticket. Still don’t know the ending yet.
I have a stolen lottery ticket, but no one believes me. It was the store manager that took the ticket. Is she cooking the books? Because when the lottery commission ran the report that ticket wasn’t on there yet a ticket that posted on the lotteries website 4 days later was cashed at a different location. I did sign the ticket, but it is attached to my bank acct. Help.
I had a £6.9 million winning EuroMillions lottery ticket stolen from me in 2007. It is still reported as an unclaimed Devon lottery ticket. If you would like a fuller account of my tale let me know. The local papers will not touch my tale and the folks at the lottery whom I complained to this year after their helpline also failed to respond has also acted most erratically and eventually instructed me to contact the Police which I have done.