There's no shortage of cashiers-turned-crooks in the retail world and the probability gets even higher when there's a lottery ticket involved.
The latest victim, 77-year-old Maureen Holt from England, says that her winning EuroMillions ticket, worth 1 million pounds, was stolen by shopkeeper Farrakh Nizzar who initially told her that she had lost.
After lying to Holt, Nizzar, who ironically goes by the nickname "Lucky," asked her if she wanted him to throw the ticket away, reports the Daily Mail. "Well, if there’s nothing on it you may as well," replied Holt.
According to the paper, Nizzar went on to try and claim the winning ticket, boasting about how he'd spend the fortune along the way.
Lottery officials noticed discrepancies in Nizzar's claim, however, ultimately calling in the police and charging him with fraud by false representation.
According to BBC News, the shop involved in Holt's case has been suspended from selling National Lottery tickets, pending an internal investigation.
In June, a South Carolina woman won $500 through a lucky scratch-off lottery ticket only to share the good news with some friends and have one of them allegedly steal it from her.
Deputies tracked the stolen ticket to Willie Jones, who was later charged with lottery fraud. The woman was expected to receive all $500 of her winnings back.
Similarly, five New Jersey construction workers were vindicated in March after a co-worker claimed to be the sole winner of a $38.5 million Mega Millions jackpot the men had bought together in 2009. A jury rejected 52-year-old Americo Lopes' claim that he'd bought the ticket on his own, concluding that he had cheated the men out of their share of the prize.
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