Avoiding Scams with Store Employees

Reply #8

GetReal720 — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 14:26:02 GMT

I think the best thing to do is check them yourself, KNOW how much you have, and watch the clerk.

If they come up with a smaller number than you did, simply ask for the losing tickets back. If it's a place

where you have had trouble before, simply do not go there again.... take your winners to a different store

to cash them in.

Personally I'd probably try to set the clerk up if I knew there was a store with scummy employees.

I'd take in a bunch of smaller winners, wait fo... [ More ]

Reply #7

grwurston — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 22:44:25 GMT

I hardly ever buy scratch offs, but there are a few things that you can do for other games.

1) Always check the tickets yourself. Results can be found here at LP, your state lottery's website, calling the winners hotline phone number on the back of the tickets. Or simply by asking the clerk for a printout of the winning numbers for whatever date you want.

2) Never trust the self scanners in the store. Would you trust the self scanner on a possible life changing $650 Million jackpot, or wou... [ More ]

Reply #6

PendingSector — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 21:46:10 GMT

ScratchSmarter, have you published this data/findings anywhere, or plan to? That is alarming.

Reply #5

ScratchSmarter — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 14:48:13 GMT

We didn't look into those states - but if it's happening in NJ PA, you can bet the same issues happen in any state that sells scratch off tickets.

Reply #4

abjorik — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 14:38:18 GMT

What about NY and CT Lotteries

Reply #3

ScratchSmarter — Mon, 21 Aug 2017 14:32:28 GMT

Have a look for any news story pertaining to lottery retailer theft and you'll find this is a BIG problem with Scratch Off tickets.

When the PA lottery used to post names of winners on their site - we pulled all of the data and found some very disturbing data - a large number of big winners (more than $1000) were won by the same people. We found one guy who won more than 43 times on prize amounts greater than $1000. His total take over 3 years was close to $250K. The second most frequent winn... [ More ]

Reply #2

BuyLow — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 17:08:04 GMT

My local 7-11 is VERY shady.....self scanner often unplugged so you have to hand tickets to clerk. I always confront them and get them to plug it back in, LOL. I always scan first myself to verify what I have then tell them what my winnings are as I hand them my tickets....IE It's $50.00 and free tickets.....

Saw one poor old man had a $500.00 winner when the terminal asked to payout they hit yes on the terminal and told him sorry we don't have the cash, handed him the ticket back and he... [ More ]

Reply #1

PendingSector — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 15:54:29 GMT

That's very unfortunate, sorry to hear that happened to you. In FL this kind of chicanery is commonplace enough to yield multiple retailers/employees getting caught by the FL Lottery sting operations, which I'd imagine accounts for only a very small subset of the general malfeasance that occurs at many of these retailers. You just never know.

The ones who do it right will have the FL Lottery screen/display right out front and turned toward the customer, so they can clearly see each winning t... [ More ]

Avoiding Scams with Store Employees

LeiLuna — Sat, 19 Aug 2017 17:25:30 GMT

I would like to ask for advice or stories on having your winnings stolen/attempted to be stolen by employees as I've learned the hard way.

There is a gas station by my house that has a very local feel and it just feels lucky so I bought scratchoffs there. I had accumulated a stack of small winners which I added up to $65.00. At the register they were scanned, there was a line of impatient people behind me, and the register person told me I had $60. I assumed I added it up incorrectly, got som... [ More ]