In a world where a little bit of luck can turn into a windfall, the last thing winners expect is for their moment of joy to be tainted by deceit.

That's what happened to one Lotto customer, which sparked a conversation about trust and the process of claiming winnings.

The incident involved a Lotto customer who went to check their Instant Scratch-It ticket.

The shop attendant said that they won $15.

However, when the winner asked for a receipt, the attendant allegedly said it was unavailable.

A Scratch-it winner almost lost 90 per cent of their winnings after an attendant falsely told them about their winnings. Image Credit: Shutterstock/Food Stock Photo

The customer threatened to contact The Lott officials, and the attendant revised their statement.

The attendant finally admitted that the prize was actually $150.

'Please be very careful when going to check your lottery tickets,' the customer warned on a social media post.

This alarming story has sent ripples through the Lotto players and prompted many to question the integrity of outlets.

Social media users went abuzz about the experience.

They asked the customer to name the outlet as they deserved to be 'named and shamed'.

In response to the accusation, a spokesperson from the Lott stated that there was 'no suggestion of underpayment' in their investigation.

However, the company reminded the players of the various scams that target Lotto customers.

One scam could involve fraudulent emails claiming to be from TattsLotto, informing recipients that they were selected as a 'lucky finalist' in a draw.

'If you engage with this email, you will not be talking to The Lott,' the company warned.

'It will be a scammer. They are likely to request your personal or banking information. Do not provide any of this information.'

Another scheme could impersonate The Lott and respond to entries on the Megadraw competition on social media.

They would inform people that they won a 'giveaway event' and would request personal details to claim the supposed prize.

So, what can you do to protect yourself from lottery-related scams? Here are some tips:

• Always ask for a printed receipt when checking your lottery tickets at a retail outlet.
• Be wary of any communication claiming you have won a prize, especially if you did not enter a draw.
• Never share personal or financial information in response to unsolicited emails or messages.
• If you suspect a scam targeted you, contact The Lott or any lottery authorities immediately.
• Familiarise yourself with the official channels where lottery winners are contacted.

Key Takeaways

• A Lotto customer warned other players after a shop attendant tried to steal their prize money from an Instant Scratch-It ticket.
• The customer was initially told they won $15, but after attempting to contact The Lott, the attendant admitted it was $150.
• The Lott stated they found no evidence of underpayment but warned of other scams targeting customers.
• Customers were cautioned about email and social media scams where fraudsters pose as TattsLotto or The Lott and request personal and financial details.

Have you or someone you know encountered these types of schemes in your local outlet? Please share your story with us in the comments below.

 

[Zuki]

Reminds me of ine instance long ago in Canberra when we presented a Lotto ticket and were told it had not won anything. The young lady then turned to throw the ticket away, whereby my husband requested it back. Took it to another place and it had in fact won some money!
there us a Greek saying, ”If you dio your fingers in honey, younwill lick them! “.

 

[Cheviegirl]

Yes I was cheated a few years ago. I bought a ticket at a small shop in Armidale NSW. Checked my ticket I had won $100! Went to collect my winnings, they gave me $16 plus. I said it was $100. They said it was $16 plus. I argued with them but they would not give me my winnings. We were only travelling through there for a couple of nights. So we had to leave without my true winnings. Lousy lot. Guess a lot do it!

 

[mylittletibbies]

Yes I was cheated a few years ago. I bought a ticket at a small shop in Armidale NSW. Checked my ticket I had won $100! Went to collect my winnings, they gave me $16 plus. I said it was $100. They said it was $16 plus. I argued with them but they would not give me my winnings. We were only travelling through there for a couple of nights. So we had to leave without my true winnings. Lousy lot. Guess a lot do it!

Why did you not ask for your ticket back?
You could have cashed it in somewhere else at a later date.

 

[GrannyJA!]

I have also seen this done at a club in the Shoalhaven. A staff member claiming a Keno ticket was a non winning ticket, when in fact it had a prize of over $100 on it. If you have doubts, ask for your ticketback and a printoutof the winningnumbers. It means the person operating the machine has quickly cleared your prize. I'm pretty sure most places have ruled out the human element since then.

 

[Bill MacL]

I would like to know why the display screens are not visible to the ticket owner, only the shop owner/staff. If you register your name with lotto, you are automatically e-mailed of any prizes.

 

[Annna]

The article states:

'...attendant said that they won $15.00.'

and

'...admitted that the prize was actually $150.00.'

From the above article, you could conclude the attendant wanted to give the person $15.00 but on hearing about the person's intention to ring the LOTT, the attendant gave him/her $150.00.

If that is correct, underpayment is not the issue. An underpayment would have been $15.00 paid out first, followed by $135.00.

The article is silent as to what the person complaining said to the LOTT.

You are left to conclude that the allegation is one of misrepresentation with intention to underpay (before money was handed over).

The LOTT however does not respond to this allegation.

The LOTT's response was:

'no suggestion of underpayment'.

If the attendant didn't hand the person $135.00 AFTER first paying out $15.00, then an underpayment didn't happen.

 

[Veggiepatch]

One Lotto attendant who would have ended Splatto if I was the ticket holder.

 

[Penny4]

That's shocking! These days shops have cameras, so hopefully the employee would get caught out. My son's ex girlfriend works at head office for Australian Lotteries. Big winners always receive a phone call, never a text or email. So, delete and block any of those devious emails or texts!

 

[Ebby]

One Lotto attendant who would have ended Splatto if I was the ticket holder.

These people should be given the boot for dishonesty. Everybody should be able to see for themselves if they have won if not get your ticket back which is your right to do so.

 

[midgemills]

I thought that most lottery sellers had a self scanner to check your tickets. I do all mine on line these days.

 

[magpie1]

If caught out deliberately being dishonest about a winning ticket and it's prize money then the operator should face instant dismissal....if the agent refuses to fire the operator then local social media including newspapers should be notified with the stores name mentioned accordingly. Or maybe just notify the police and have the operator charged with attempted robbery perhaps.

 

[Bill MacL]

The article states:

'...attendant said that they won $15.00.'

and

'...admitted that the prize was actually $150.00.'

From the above article, you could conclude the attendant wanted to give the person $15.00 but on hearing about the person's intention to ring the LOTT, the attendant gave him/her $150.00.

If that is correct, underpayment is not the issue. An underpayment would have been $15.00 paid out first, followed by $135.00.

The article is silent as to what the person complaining said to the LOTT.

You are left to conclude that the allegation is one of misrepresentation with intention to underpay (before money was handed over).

The LOTT however does not respond to this allegation.

The LOTT's response was:

'no suggestion of underpayment'.

If the attendant didn't hand the person $135.00 AFTER first paying out $15.00, then an underpayment didn't happen.

In other words, the attendant was trying to steal $135.00

 

[Annna]

In other words, the attendant was trying to steal $135.00

That is the situation on my reading of the article.