A man who went to a 7-Eleven in Roseville, Calif., to check on his lottery tickets had picked the right numbers, but state officials said it was the clerk who almost hit the jackpot.
The female clerk told the customer he won $4 on his Mega Millions picks for Aug. 14, and then pocketed his winning ticket worth $555,000, California Lottery officials said.
However, the clerk's alleged scheme fell apart after the unnamed victim became suspicious and called lottery officials.
Rajinder Kaur, 40, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of grand theft, and the ticket was recovered, officials said.
Donald Currier, the lottery's chief legal counsel, said it was the second time in two years that a retail clerk had been arrested for allegedly stealing a winning ticket.
"To any clerks out there who think they can steal a winning ticket, we'll get you," Currier said. "Clerks just don't get away with it."
Kaur was booked into the Placer County jail in Auburn, Calif. on suspicion of grand theft. She was released on $50,000 bail.
Currier said the customer whose ticket was stolen was unaware he'd won more than half a million dollars when he went to the store Aug. 16.
The man, who officials said has a language barrier, purchased five sets of numbers at the 7-Eleven market two days earlier and had used his own numbers to play.
"He knew he had some winning numbers, but he didn't know how much he had won," Currier said.
The winning Mega Millions numbers that week were 5, 8, 9, 24 and 34, all of which the man had selected. Had he also hit the Meganumber of 17, he would have won $122 million.
He handed his winning ticket to the clerk to run through a validation machine to determine the amount won, Currier said.
However, after running the ticket, Kaur told the man, "You've won four dollars," and paid him that amount, Currier said. The attorney said Kaur kept the winning ticket, apparently with designs to cash it later.
Currier said that in the ensuing days, the victim saw news reports about the prize money being unclaimed and that the winning ticket had been purchased at the 7-Eleven in Roseville.
He also kept looking with confusion at the winning numbers, knowing he had played them, the attorney said.
On Tuesday, the man called the lottery office, which referred his complaint to its security and law enforcement division.
Working with Roseville police, the lottery agents, who are sworn peace officers, went to the store to investigate, Currier said.
"They interviewed people, collected evidence, arrested the clerk and recovered the ticket," he said.
If convicted of grand theft with an enhancement based on the high dollar amount, Kaur could face up to four years in state prison, Currier said.
Lottery officials are not yet releasing the name of the victim.
They said the investigation has not concluded and that lottery agents want to make sure the man is the rightful owner of the ticket.
"We believe that this is the guy," Currier said. "But we want to make absolutely sure. Once we finish the investigation, we will release the money."
Officials estimate the man will receive $416,000 after taxes.
Currier said the California Lottery encourages players to sign the backs of their tickets as soon as they purchase them.
"That would prevent fraud if they lose a winning ticket or if someone steals it," Currier said. "The thief will have a much harder time cashing it."
If the ticket is altered in any way after being signed, an investigation would be launched so that the rightful owner could be identified, he said.
Cathy Doyle Johnston, a spokeswoman for the lottery, said retail locations cannot redeem any cash prizes over $599.
If a lottery player believes he or she has won a prize of $600 or more, they are encouraged to contact the California Lottery or one of its district offices, she said.
This is why I check my numbers on the internet. Doesn't excuse the clerk. That was a cheap move on her part. I hope more retailers start using self scanners so people can check their tickets themself.
The self scanners only lets a person know if the ticket is a winner or not. Doesnt give the value of win.
I personally think the person should have to sign a slip that prints out showing the ticket value. Sorta a cash receipt that saves from fraud or dupe'n a lottery player.
Quote: Originally posted by Guru101 on Sep 7, 2007
This is why I check my numbers on the internet. Doesn't excuse the clerk. That was a cheap move on her part. I hope more retailers start using self scanners so people can check their tickets themself.
i have used the self scanners in georgia and kentucky but i havent seen them in tennessee. in kentucky they show how much i won but in georgia it just said i had a winner and to see the clerk. my largest winner was maybe $10 so im not sure if they would show the larger tier amounts or just tell you to go to the lottery office to claim. im glad they caught this thief.
Probably most clerks are honest, but it's unfortunate when this happens. I might be naive, but I can't imagine any of the nice people who work at Publix stealing money from me. However, I would never check my numbers at a store. It's not because I distrust the people at Publix, but because anything can go wrong when a ticket is scanned.
Had he not played his own numbers, the real winner might not have realized he had been cheated.
Welcome to America___'s jails. A curse upon all clerks who steal winning lottery tickets. Maybe the stealing hand will have a little choppy choppy action in prison. Without self check machines, it can happen to anyone. I am sick of hearing about this. Max prison sentence please.
If people new better and enough they would not do that to them, at least he knew enough to call the lottery people.
From what I have heard and seen, a lot of people lose their lottery winnings in this way, very many players don't know enough to check their own tickets, if they did, it would give the clerks some relief and they (The players) would get to keep their money, everybody would win, but that of course will never happen.
Quote: Originally posted by jeffrey on Sep 8, 2007
Welcome to America___'s jails. A curse upon all clerks who steal winning lottery tickets. Maybe the stealing hand will have a little choppy choppy action in prison. Without self check machines, it can happen to anyone. I am sick of hearing about this. Max prison sentence please.
. I also think that the ticket check ed come with a with a receipt of the amount won, is a good idea. And also, to protect the customer, it should be illegal to check an unsigned ticket. It will protect the bearer of the instrument in the long run. I have seen many unscrupulous clerks. Some have tried to take advantage of me! My health has declined rapidly and I look it often. And when the question comes up tip a clerk, my answer is, are you kidding???!!!!!!
This problem is hardly new and goes on more often than this arrest would indicate. Look at what they had to do in Canada. All of it can be avoided by checking tickets on the internet first.
This is an example of why you should check your own numbers. In Louisiana, we can check them on the Internet or by calling the Lottery Information Line, a phone number with a recorded message of the winning numbers. Louisiana also has the online Club Lotteaux, which will Email all the winning numbers to members the next day.
For Powerball, the numbers are usually on Powerball.com within 30 minutes of the drawing, so I usually check those right away.
This doesn't excuse what the clerk did and he should serve time for it, but lottery players should use whatever method they have available to check the numbers themselves.
Do the machines work the same in every state? In MD the clerk scans the ticket and a reciept on lottery stationary pops out with the correct amount on it. You're then get that and the cash.
I alwasy check mine online and write what it's worth on th back of the ticket. Even if I don't check online I don't let the clerk keep the on winning ticket.
This is why I check my numbers on the internet. Doesn't excuse the clerk. That was a cheap move on her part. I hope more retailers start using self scanners so people can check their tickets themself.
The self scanners only lets a person know if the ticket is a winner or not. Doesnt give the value of win.
I personally think the person should have to sign a slip that prints out showing the ticket value. Sorta a cash receipt that saves from fraud or dupe'n a lottery player.
i have used the self scanners in georgia and kentucky but i havent seen them in tennessee. in kentucky they show how much i won but in georgia it just said i had a winner and to see the clerk. my largest winner was maybe $10 so im not sure if they would show the larger tier amounts or just tell you to go to the lottery office to claim. im glad they caught this thief.
Probably most clerks are honest, but it's unfortunate when this happens. I might be naive, but I can't imagine any of the nice people who work at Publix stealing money from me. However, I would never check my numbers at a store. It's not because I distrust the people at Publix, but because anything can go wrong when a ticket is scanned.
Had he not played his own numbers, the real winner might not have realized he had been cheated.
See signature below.
Welcome to America___'s jails. A curse upon all clerks who steal winning lottery tickets. Maybe the stealing hand will have a little choppy choppy action in prison. Without self check machines, it can happen to anyone. I am sick of hearing about this. Max prison sentence please.
If people new better and enough they would not do that to them, at least he knew enough to call the lottery people.
From what I have heard and seen, a lot of people lose their lottery winnings in this way, very many players don't know enough to check their own tickets, if they did, it would give the clerks some relief and they (The players) would get to keep their money, everybody would win, but that of course will never happen.
JAIL JAIL JAIL IS HER NEW
BIG HOUSE!
yes.i'm with dumars............jail the ''s,o,b,'' or deport her
This problem is hardly new and goes on more often than this arrest would indicate. Look at what they had to do in Canada. All of it can be avoided by checking tickets on the internet first.
This is an example of why you should check your own numbers. In Louisiana, we can check them on the Internet or by calling the Lottery Information Line, a phone number with a recorded message of the winning numbers. Louisiana also has the online Club Lotteaux, which will Email all the winning numbers to members the next day.
For Powerball, the numbers are usually on Powerball.com within 30 minutes of the drawing, so I usually check those right away.
This doesn't excuse what the clerk did and he should serve time for it, but lottery players should use whatever method they have available to check the numbers themselves.
In Ky the self scanner in the store shows how much the ticket is worth.....
Do the machines work the same in every state? In MD the clerk scans the ticket and a reciept on lottery stationary pops out with the correct amount on it. You're then get that and the cash.
I alwasy check mine online and write what it's worth on th back of the ticket. Even if I don't check online I don't let the clerk keep the on winning ticket.