Lottery retailers busted in raid

Comment #44

dk1421 — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:02:58 GMT

I recently bought a scratch-off in PA and thought I won $500. I went to two stores to have them check but because the people were either idiots or the machine to check the ticket was out of my eyesight, I took my ticket back and left.

I actually had to go to the PA lottery website to see if I had won because the directions were unclear. It said if there were two $ , then I won that amount. Well, I did have two $'s, but with an amount written between them (like $40$ ). On the website, I saw th... [ More ]

Comment #43

tendercat — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:29:26 GMT

As the manager of a gas station that sells lottery tickets -- I would offer the following simple advice -- always ask for your tickets back. That way, if you think someone is trying to scam you, you can take it somewhere else to get it double checked.

Its policy where i work, that we hand back all non-winning tickets, and as far as im aware, we have never had issues with employee theft so to put it.

Comment #42

kikideenyc — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:35:41 GMT

ahahahahhaaaaa... BU$TED

Comment #41

PrisonerSix — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:12:33 GMT

I'm glad these people got caught and hopefully will suffer consequences for their crimes.

However, it should also send a clear message to players to check their own tickets either online or by phone. The Louisiana lottery has both options so I use one or the other to check my tickets. Signing your tickets would also deter others from trying to steal your winnings.

Comment #40

KY Floyd — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 06:43:18 GMT

it is not entrapment, entrapment would be if the police gives you drugs and then another police arrests you.

It's very definitely not entrapment. Entrapment is when law enforcement personnel or their agents persuade you to commit a crime when you had no intent to do so. Simply giving you enough rope to hang yourself isn't entrapment. That's why cops can do a buy and bust or set up a bait car to catch car thieves.

According to the information presented in the article the cops in this c... [ More ]

Comment #39

ThatScaryChick — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 06:09:57 GMT

You're welcome. I just can't put my trust in the cashier. There have been too many stories of people handing their tickets to the cashier and them lying about the amount that they've won. It's just better to know what you won at the start, so you don't get ripped off. I'm not saying all cashiers are bad, because they're not, but you don't know who would be willing to rip you off.

Comment #38

jr-va — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 06:01:19 GMT

definitely, thanks scarychick, I will.

Comment #37

ThatScaryChick — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 05:51:06 GMT

I am always keeping my losingtickets, but when the clerk says I won a dollar or two I do wonder,what if it really won $25 or more?

Check your tickets online before taking them to the store. It's easy to avoid being ripped off if you know how much you won before turning your tickets in.

Comment #36

jr-va — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 05:47:15 GMT

it is not entrapment, entrapment would be if the police gives you drugs and then another police arrests you.

What happened in this article is truly illegal and bad.

I am always keeping my losing tickets, but when the clerk says I won a dollar or two I do wonder, what if it really won $25 or more?

(By the way, I meant to vote all stars for this article, but I messed up and clicked the middle, I thought after clicking then I would be on the rating screen to vote, but inste... [ More ]

Comment #35

susie545 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:24:28 GMT

This happens alot at the laundryroom

Comment #34

starchild_45 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:50:03 GMT

Lock them up!

Lock them up!

Lock them up!

oh yeah one more thing.

Lock them up

Comment #33

spy153 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 14:39:01 GMT

Oh, this is a great idea! I wish they would do it here. Simply brilliant. I wouldn't have to put up with snide clerks or the ones who know absolutely nothing about the games.

Comment #32

OldSchoolPa — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:12:31 GMT

No I don't think any lawyer would believe this is entrapment on the part of the undercover law enforcement officials...seemingly the only thing they did was present tickets to be checked that appeared to be actual winners. It was the store clerks that decided to say they were non-winners and keep them and then the store clerks or the store management attempted to claim the winnings themselves. I don't see the entrapment in that at all. Whether the tickets were real or bogus shouldn't matter eith... [ More ]

Comment #31

dx123 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 07:57:19 GMT

Its so nice to hear of store clerks scamming their customers who actually pay for services and goods at their store. Glad to see the Police are at large to get rid of the bad guys from those who are honest citizens. This 'capturing process' should be done all the time to keep these criminally minded people in their place and out of society.

Our 2 countries have absolutely everything and anything our hearts desire, from food, family, friends, work and much much more in the way of freedoms than... [ More ]

Comment #30

TigerAngel — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 06:54:12 GMT

Thanks for posting the story Todd. I never bought tickets from that store in the video but it's close to my house and I do business next door to it. I always check my tickets myself first in the little machine in the stores for that purpose. I guess some ppl are in a hurry or don't realize the gizmo is there or they are just too trusting.

Now I'm wondering where in town all the other stores are that got busted. They said over a dozen stores. Will check the CA Lotto website to see which stores... [ More ]

Comment #29

ThatScaryChick — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:08:32 GMT

I like the graphic change Todd. It really looks good.

Comment #28

BuyLow — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 03:25:34 GMT

Graphic looks great with the change

Comment #27

gocart1 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 02:24:44 GMT

Good work by the cops.Even when you check your tickits yourself ,then bring to the store ,you still have to be careful.

Nice work Todd

Comment #26

Todd — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 02:11:33 GMT

That was good feedback, thanks, I agree. I have changed the graphic (you might have to refresh the page to see it. - Ctrl+F5).

Comment #25

jackpotismine — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:36:38 GMT

I agree. I sometimes wonder if someone hasn't found a way to see through the scratch-off ticket using some type of ultra violet or other light. The music thing is definitely a MUST for all machine just like in the Slot Machines.

Comment #24

NITEHAWK61 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:53:00 GMT

They deserve everthing they are going to get and more!!!

there was one store that I was suspicious of and I never won a thing there(bad vibes everytime I walked in). I switched stores and my luck changed.started winning scratch offs and then I found lottery post and started hitting pick 3 and pick 4.

and now two months ago the store burned down(what goes around,comes around).

Comment #23

JonnyBgood07 — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:44:31 GMT

This whole thing I bet has been going on for years and it's really a case of who's the a8Shole .

Call me one,but i'm a firm believer that people shouldn't be playing any games when they don't know the prizes for their desired games.Of course the store owners should be hung,but it seems a 2 way street.I'm glad they got caught.

I know in connecticut they recently adopted satellites to transmit numbers etc to the terminals and also the screen is facing the customer so when you win ,you see it... [ More ]

Comment #22

Dead_Aim — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:37:00 GMT

I know when they run promo games at certain times I have heard the lotto machines play music to let you know you won a bonus ticket. Why don't every state adopt this as a normal routine to winning tickets of all sizes. That way, even if the owner of the ticket can not see the screen they can still hear the music or a computer voice saying You're a winner . It should not be that hard to make the whole machine shut down if the music or voice mechanism is tampered with or shut off. I would think th... [ More ]

Comment #21

EXMECHANIC — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:11:49 GMT

Seems like once every other month we get a story like this on the CA Lottery website, I've always enjoyed them, but it kind of shocks me that EVERY time they do this sting, they are busting multiple people for these crimes.

If I have a winner, I check the CA lottery website see its value, sign my ticket, and prior to handing the ticket to the clerk, I ask them if they can cash my ticket for its winning value. Some places won't cash tickets for $400 or $500 dollars because they don't have the... [ More ]

Comment #20

Phokas — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:10:36 GMT

State and multi-state lotteries should allow players to set up direct accounts to play their favorite games like they do in the UK (https://www.national-lottery.co.uk/player/registration.do); that way you cut out corrupt middlemen. Reasonable terms and conditions can always apply to prevent gambling addicts from going overboard.

Comment #19

justxploring — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:59:35 GMT

Cool graphic, Todd.

Yes, it's nice when the bad guys get caught.

Comment #18

spy153 — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:29:29 GMT

Yes, I feel it needs something there too.

Comment #17

BuyLow — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:21:27 GMT

In Florida, we have a screen that faces us and if it's a winner it automatically prints out a ticket. I stay aware.

Todd......Nice graphic BUT I would add the word Warning or Alert in red under Scam so it is never mis-understood any other way. As it reads now it says Lottery Post Scam, not your intention I am sure.

Comment #16

MillionsWanted — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 23:07:29 GMT

Good thing they get the crooks. But I can't people are so stupid they're not able to check their own tickets for prizes.

Comment #15

truecritic — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:28:14 GMT

I am willing to bet it is the tip of the iceberg - maybe even something smaller than the tip!

I would love to have that job running the sting.

Nice scam Graphic.

Comment #14

myturn08 — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:18:30 GMT

I went to one retailer and they tried to give me less on my winnings, and then he said honest mistake, i never go back there to claim tickets at all..maybe i should report them............but that taught me to ask for a claim reciept on all my tickets, i trust no one

Comment #13

MaddMike51 — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:08:05 GMT

I love it when crooks get hauled away in handcuffs and paddy wagons.

Nice graphic,Todd.

Comment #12

RJOh — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 22:03:00 GMT

This should also be warning for retailers to only steel from customers they know other wise they could be dealing with the law.

Comment #11

tiggs95 — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:46:42 GMT

Check your numbers and deal with someone you trust..It's so easy..

Comment #10

Tenaj — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:25:29 GMT

Goody, goody, goody they got busted. Hopely it is spread all of the news so that others are warned and people will start signing their tickets, asking for their tickets back, or just checking their own numbers.

I hope the crooks get a lot of jail time, have to pay a lot of money (much much more than they stole) on top of losing creditablity, lottery license and liquor license. Actually they should not be allowed to be in business.

That will show them not to prey on the ignorance of others... [ More ]

Comment #9

Kaptainess — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:03:10 GMT

What do you think of my new SCAM graphic - Nice Todd! Draws attention to what you should be looking out for.

As for getting paid in Pennsylvania its easy they print out a paid ticket and the money at the same time. Or they will give you a 'no winner'.

The ONLY thing that I'm getting upset with some of the lottery retailers is not being paid in cash but with a money orders or check. I didn't play with either and take offense that they do that. I will not cash my ticket at those places and... [ More ]

Comment #8

fja — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:11:45 GMT

I don't think its entrapment, they went in and tried to cash a lottery ticket...The clerk said it's not a winner. Now either the clerk can't tell the difference or he knows its a winner and tells him its not worth anything. Grand Larcency comes in when the clerk himself puts in a claim for the $1,000.00 at the lottery commision.

If nobody puts in a claim for the $1,000 ticket than a mistake has been made. no harm no foul....

Comment #7

konane — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 20:11:20 GMT

Very nice graphic!!!

Perhaps there had been reports to law enforcement of winning tickets having been kept which is why they sent them in to get proof.

Think the worthless ticket was a real $1000 winner that an undercover officer was told by a dishonest clerk that it was not a winner.

Shame on them for cheating customers, but they'll probably have a long time to think about their actions.

Comment #6

TotallyDavis — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:14:15 GMT

I'm all about busting some bad guys, especially lottery ticket thieves...

...but doesn't this ring of 'entrapment'? Isn't entrapment when a police officer entices someone to commit a crime that otherwise would have been unlikely? Of course, maybe they are assuming that this was as likely a case as any other?

Also, I'm curious as to how they can charge someone with 'grand larceny' just because something *appeared* to be worth a lot of money (the fake $1000 lottery tickets they used).... [ More ]

Comment #5

NYSlugger 777 — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 19:06:32 GMT

I agree. I also love this story because the crooks are caught. Good job by the undercover investigators they deserve a reward themselves, because they may have prevented other people from getting ripped off by these criminals in the future.

Comment #4

diamondpalace — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:56:33 GMT

The odds already agaisnt players, and come to find this...

Comment #3

fja — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 18:47:53 GMT

The domino effect:

felony charges, and if you own the store:

1. You lose your lottery license

2. You might lose any liquor license you have....

3. You'll definitley lose most of your customer base....

Was that really worth it? Some people just don't see it!

P.S. Nice SCAM graphic Todd

Comment #2

s5thomps — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:37:05 GMT

Winners never cheat and cheaters never win! When will people learn

Comment #1

Todd — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:36:58 GMT

I love this story, because the crooks are nabbed, and people get educated about checking their tickets.

What do you think of my new SCAM graphic

Lottery retailers busted in raid

Lottery Post — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 16:45:44 GMT

Store owners, clerks accused of stealing winning tickets

Lottery officials raided several mini marts Tuesday in Fresno, California.

Owners and clerks were taken away in handcuffs after undercover investigators say the suspects cheated would-be customers by lying about winning tickets.

Late last year officers posing as consumers showed up at many local mini marts to test their honesty. More than a dozen store owners and employees failed. Today, authorities caught up with them at the busi... [ More ]