Beware of Lottery Ticket Scam

Local officials are advising residents to be cautious when cashing in winning lottery tickets. Police in several local towns have received reports that clerks are switching winning tickets when asked to cash them.

"Here in Brick we have already gotten about 10 complaints,"  said Officer Victor Fortuna. "A person will bring a ticket to a store clerk and ask them to check it. The clerk will then say the ticket is not a winner, but then hand a losing ticket to the customer. If the customer doesn't immediately notice the switch, there's almost nothing that can be done."

Officer Fortuna said that the scam has also been reported in Toms River, Point Pleasant, and Wall. Fortuna said that unfortunately it is a crime that is very hard to prove.

"If a customer catches the cashier when the switch is made, the cashier will typically just say it was a mistake and cash the winning ticket for the customer," said Fortuna. "More often, the customer will just assume that he or she made the mistake and believe the cashier."

Officer Fortuna says that cashiers typically try to pull the scam on elderly customers. He advises the public to take extra care with winning lottery tickets. Police are suggesting that the public bite winning tickets before they hand them in. The distinctive teeth marks will make it nearly impossible for scammers to pass off a different ticket.

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 11, 2020 at 10:26 AM

    Please do not put lottery tickets in your mouth before handing them to people.

    ReplyDelete

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