Man Picks $1 Million Lottery Ticket Out Of TrashPrevious TopicNext Topic

I think he should get it too.  I always sign the back of my ticket right after I buy it.  ALWAYS!!!!!

How does the saying go, "Only fools fall in love - or buy lottery tickets"?

I wouldn't be surprised if the person who actually bought the ticket only scratched the validation area only. Here in NY, scratch games have a bar code on the back, a 4-digit validation code that is revealed when the entire play area is scratched, and 3 validation letters that are scattered around the play area. These validation letters can also be used to determine the prize value if there is one. For example, O-N-E ($1), T-W-O ($2), F-O-R ($4), F-I-V ($5), T-E-N ($10), T-W-N ($20), F-T-Y ($50), H-U-N ($100), F-V-H ($500). However, certain prize amounts are not so clear cut. For example, a $25 winner has the 3-letter validation code of Z-M-F, $30 is N-A-Z, and $40 is Z-A-P. After playing the scratch games for awhile, these letters are usually a giveaway to tell you if you've won something or not. Some examples of losing 3 letter validation codes are P-T-Y, T-X-L, T-N-M, M-T-X, P-M-Y, etc.

Now the question is, what would the 3-letter validation consist of for a higher-tier prize, say 10K, 25K, 100K, or $1 million? Are there some special letters reserved for this purpose? The answer is no. Quite simply, here in NY, a winning jackpot in an instant game ticket would have any random 3-letter losing validation code as I've mentioned above. I have seen some big winning tickets and the 3-letter validation code looked exactly like something you would find on a losing ticket.

My point is that I've seen MANY discarded lottery scratch tickets where the person who tossed it only scratched the corners and sides of the ticket to reveal the 3-letter validation codes. If you play a certain game long enough, you'll get to know which portion of the ticket contains these letters. They don't understand that even if you see a losing 3-letter pattern it doesn't necessarily mean that your ticket is a loser. I mean in most cases, it probably is, but there is that slight chance that you might have just overlooked a big winning ticket. I've also seen situations where the person only scratches the 4-digit validation code and then walks up to the retailer to have it checked at the terminal. The retailer has to input these numbers after scanning it. This is foolish because there is nothing stopping the retailer from lying...or making a mistake when they manually type in those 4 digits. Can you imagine that? The ticket has 1532, which is the $1 million prize, and by mistake they key in 1533, which is a losing ticket.

Now I'm not sure how instant game tickets in Mass. are formatted and validated. They may or may not contain validation letters and/or numbers. I'm sure that there is some form of validation though. The point of the story is that if you purchase an instant game ticket it makes sense to scratch the ENTIRE playing surface and double check the outcome of the game. I've had situations where I've almost tossed a winning ticket because one of the winning matching numbers was in a far corner of the ticket and still covered by the metallic coating they use. I saw a 2, but it was actually a 22. Ask yourself, did you match your all your symbols or numbers to see if you've won a prize? It takes all the excitement away from me to just look for the validation codes/letters on the ticket and not "play" the game.

Who knows what might have happened in this particular case. Maybe it was an elderly person who couldn't see very well or someone who was in a rush and thought the ticket was a loser. One thing's for sure....play SMART!

The question is though ... did the person really throw away the ticket themselves, or did the store do it then hand him back the WRONG ticket?

I mean how did they get a photocopy of the winning ticket?

The ticket belonged in the trash, since it's annuity-only. BTW I'm in West Virginia right now.

In many states, the three letter codes in the play area are only to help ticket retailers confirm lower prize amounts ($599 and less).

On larger prizes over $599 where you have to go to a lottery office for payout, the letters are meaningless. I have seen a few big winners here in Florida, some with the code NVF which is also a non-winning code on $599 and lower prizes.

Do not go by the three letter codes because a seemingly meaningless code could mean a big winner.

So you would throw away money just because it's an annuity? Ok.

Rules are very explicit.  It's a bearer instrument.  St. John bore it, someone else trashed it, it's now St. John's.

Now, if St. John had stalked someone and stolen it, or had seen someone drop it, and then picked it up for himself without telling the other person -- that's theft, and he should be prosecuted.

But someone putting it into the trash, and St. John moseying over to dig through the trash? it's his.

Obviously, you missed the class on how Trial Lawyers make their living. The only thing black and white is that which is yellow and blue. Proof: There are more warning signs on ladders, then there are steps. Hot coffee is no longer hot for a reason.

His to keep,whoever says it was there ticket, must be nutty as a fruit cake,or just plain stupid.I have found several tickets in Cohutta,Ga while playing Keno.  

Hot coffee is no longer hot for a reason.

That's a riot!  How about when a guy in a car commercial jumps off a cliff and there's a disclaimer "professional stuntman. do not attempt" 

Hmm..this is a real test of conscience, but I don't think I'd turn in a winning lottery ticket I found unless it was signed and I had read about it in the newspaper. It's tough to say. The rules state the money belongs to the bearer of the ticket. Remember the woman who claimed she lost a PB ticket and then admitted she made up the whole story? Yesterday I found a dollar bill at WalMart.  Not the same, but basically the same principle. But let's say it was $100. Should they make an announcement "anyone who lost $100 bill please come to the customer service desk?" Even with a photo ID, only Benjamin Franklin could claim rightful ownership. Of course when I found a watch on the beach I turned it in. Something doesn't make sense here, but most articles in the news leave out important details. They figure most people don't care about the truth, just the hype. I mean, finding a winning ticket in the trash is news! Even a big lotto winner couldn't get away from the press after committing suicide.

(BTW, I did tell the greeter at WalMart I found a dollar.)