A Frenchwoman who went on a huge spending spree after "winning" the Euro Millions lottery was ordered to pay the huge tab back after belatedly discovering that she had got the wrong the number.
The 46-year-old, whose identity was not disclosed in the French media, believed she had won a massive jackpot. Within hours, and over the course of three weeks in February and March 2014, she issued a series of checks – spending on perfumes, jewellery, clothes and ornaments to celebrate her good fortune.
Her spending quickly surpassed €4,000 (US$4,400), but with no word or check in sight from Euro Millions, her family started to fret.
Eventually, the woman's husband got his hands on the ticket and checked the numbers. He discovered to his horror that one of the digits failed to match and informed his wife.
The woman, a mother living in the Doubs département in eastern France, faced charges of fraud this week for a string of checks that bounced during her shopping spree, according to l'Est Republicain, the regional daily.
Once she realized her terrible mistake, the woman made matters worse by inventing a story that her handbag had been stolen in a bid not to have to pay back her debts.
She even burned the handbag to get rid of the evidence. However, she was caught on several shop security cameras writing out checks and charged.
After she initially denied fraud, the woman broke down in court to admit the charges this week. Understanding shop-owners had already contacted her to suggest payment in installments, but she has still not refunded them, saying she was "too afraid and ashamed" to do so. However, she promised to do so now.
The Besançon court handed her a four-month suspended sentence and ordered her to work and to repay her debts.
Talking about counting your chickens before they hatch. Wow
Umm, aren't you supposed to wait till the check clears your bank before you go spending? At least make sure you actually won, dumb dumb.
"Eventually, the woman's husband got his hands on the ticket and checked the numbers. He discovered to his horror that one of the digits failed to match and informed his wife."
Not enough details. So she was one number away from winning the jackpot?? Not sure how the Euro Millions lottery works but in the US matching 5 numbers without the mega number in the Mega Millions lottery will net you well over $4,400. That's more than enough money to cover her debt.
Doesn't Euro Millions give any prize money for second place or is the game all or nothing?
Oh mon DieuTo the French lady:
Eura peein' your money away.
(get it? Eura peein'?)
Good point, but that's not the only thing that doesn't make sense.
Why were they surprised that there was "no word or check in sight from Euro Millions"? How did they expect Euro millions to even know about it? Did she mail them the ticket? If so, how did the husband get his hands on the ticket in order to find out that it wasn't a jackpot winner? She couldn't have gone in person, for all sorts of reasons.
I think the odds are extremely high that the woman's a fruitcake, and I wouldn't be surprised if they just came up with the story as an excuse for all of the checks she bounced.
“Trust, but Verify!”
This French chick is not playing with a full deck!
( insert blonde joke )
Ruh Roh!
Well it's evident she made a mistake, and a big one at that!
At least the court and the merchants appear to be fair with her.
A good lesson for all lottery players. Mercy me!
Stupid is as stupid does.
Stupide est aussi stupide ne.
OK, well, it seems there was a blonde who walked into her doctor's office with a complaint of hurting everywhere on here body.
Surprised at this, the doctor asks her to point to a few such painful places on her body.
So, whe points to her arm, her stomach, her face. . . .
The doctor's diagnosis? Your finger's broken.
She can always make men happy to recoup some of her losses.
Seriously!? That is a sexist, degrading comment!!
Probably because they bought their ticket while using a registered player card. The numbers on the ticket and the owner of the ticket will be stored on a computer belonging to the lottery company. That way they can automatically transfer the money to her account a couple of days after the drawing(not sure if the french lottery company do that).
I agree.
She knew she didn't win! she got the lotto fever and tried to fry that chicken before she even caught it!
EuroMillions Prize Amounts and Statistics
Since Hollywood is lacking in the creativity department these days, this story would make for a great comedy film!!
Not even sure how to respond to this story...seriously who does that???
That's the same thing I said, one Halloween, when a person dressed as a king of clubs, another dressed a queen of something, another as a jack of something, and an Ace.
They ran right in front of me and I said that they weren't playing with a full deck! Everyone around at that point started laughing.
True story. No lie.
Yeah, seriously.
And no, it's not sexist.
And no offense to your decent folks out there, who may be from France, and moved to the U.S.A. for a better life. AND THE BEST LOTTO!
________________
OK Now?
Any individual belonging to the Brainless Buffoon Bureau.
I NEVER said or implied any such doggone thing.
I meant that she could probably have sought part-time employment with
the help of the ministry of labor, where men are likely to frequent:
She sounds like an absolute Genius! I wish that I was her friend and she took me shopping with her...LOL No but seriously, that was major stupid.
oops.