What if someone stole a fortune from you and you didn’t even know it? Most lottery players hope that scratch-off tickets will lead to a quick payday. Unfortunately, most lottery players don’t know about the mass theft of scratch off lottery tickets! Wondering what this theft is all about you and how this might affect your own odds of winning? Keep reading to discover the answers!
Where Is It Happening?
There are certainly cases of stolen scratch off lottery tickets each and every year. But there is one ongoing case that has local communities and law enforcement in a tizzy!
It all started with a robbery in Memphis, TN. There, at least three men robbed a Hop-In gas station of several towers that were completely full of scratch-off tickets.
Originally, this happened on January 10. But then a fourth thief came into the same location three days later and stole as many tickets as he could carry before running out of the establishment.
The thieves were not caught by the authorities. Perhaps emboldened by their earlier crime, the thieves struck again at another Hop-In later that month.
How Does It Go Down?
It’s one thing to hear that thieves are stealing lottery tickets. But when lottery players hear about these crimes, they can’t help but ask a question: how did this crime actually happen?
In the case of these thieves, they kept things very simple. In the first instance, they ran in and grabbed as many tickets as they could from the towers where they are usually kept. It was a pretty easy matter to grab the towers and escape in their vehicle (reported as a burgundy Nissan).
But when the fourth man came in for the second robbery of the first Hop-In, he simply grabbed handfuls of lottery tickets rather than entire cases. In both cases, the criminals were able to grab everything so easily because these scratch-off lottery tickets were very prominently displayed.
What We Know About the Criminals
As of this writing, the criminals have not yet been caught. But there are still a few important details that we know about them.
We know that their criminal crew includes at least four people. And all of the people we have seen on surveillance video are men. As mentioned before, the vehicle they used for the crime is a burgundy Nissan.
It is possible there are more criminals involved. For example, there were only two men that robbed the second Hop-In. These could be members of the original crew or possibly copycat thieves who were inspired by the original robbery.
A Foolish Crime
At first glance, the idea of stealing scratch-off tickets seems understandable. It’s easy money, right? But for these thieves, getting a big payday may be harder than you think.
Getting the money is about more than just scratching off the right area. Eventually, the thieves would need to take the winning tickets into another place that sells lottery tickets in order to cash in. This is how many scratch-off thieves are eventually caught.
As soon as they do this, lottery officials will be able to tell exactly where the tickets were cashed in. So while there is still a possibility that the thieves would get away with this crime, every ticket they cash in brings them one step closer to a life behind bars.
How This Impacts Everyone Else
Obviously, we all feel bad when anyone gets robbed. But one blunt question you may be asking yourself is, “how does this affect me?”
The main way this affects other lottery players is that it puts their own winning tickets in jeopardy. Because while the authorities can track exactly which tickets were stolen, there is no way to simply deactivate the stolen tickets.
Instead, the only option is to deactivate every single ticket that was on the stolen spools. But this might include some tickets that were previously purchased. If these entire spools are deactivated, that means some players might miss out on their own winnings.
This is the reason why the owner of the second Hop-In that was robbed did not wish to deactivate these spools of tickets. But the longer we go without these thieves getting caught, the likelier owners and law enforcement will be to take more drastic measures.
Playing Your Part
Now you understand that a stolen lottery ticket can affect an entire community. But do you know what you can do to help catch the criminals?
The first thing you need to do is report any suspicious behavior you see to either the store manager or law enforcement. Even if the thieves are not about to rob the store, a suspicious-looking person might be casing the joint for a future heist.
The second thing you need to do is pay attention to details of past crimes. The more you know about the thieves, their behavior, and their vehicle, the easier it will be for you to find people matching this description and report them to law enforcement.
The final and most important thing you need to do is focus on your own safety. While it is important to monitor suspicious behavior and report it to the authorities, you should never do anything that might put you in danger.
Hold On to Losing Scratch Off Lottery Tickets
Here’s a secret those criminals may not know. Even if your scratch-off ticket seems like a loser, it could still help you get paid.
That’s because many lotteries have second-chance drawings. And there are sometimes some major prizes up for grabs, including awards in the million-dollar range.
Best of all, you have better odds with these drawings. That’s because only about 10% of the people who play in a scratch-off game enter into the second-chance drawings. And the fewer who play, the better your odds are!
What’s Next?
Now you know about the recent robbery of scratch-off lottery tickets. But do you know who can give you even more valuable knowledge?
We specialize in helping players improve their odds and take home some serious cash. To see what we can do for you, check out our scratch-off secrets today!