Do you trust your store clerk with your lottery ticket?
Maybe you've won a few hundred bucks or more. Will the employee tell you — or pocket the ticket while telling you it's a loser?
That happened this week at a Fort Myers store, according to the Lee County Sheriff's Office. A Winn-Dixie Liquors employee is accused of keeping a customer's $600 winning ticket — and paying him only 5 bucks.
Crystelle Yvette Baton was charged with larceny grand theft on Monday.
Baton, 42, was caught because she scammed the wrong customer, cops say.
The man wasn't a customer — he was an agent working undercover for the Florida Lottery Commission's security division.
When the undercover agent approached Baton with the winning ticket, she scanned it and realized it was worth $600. But instead of telling the man, investigators said she quietly pulled $5 out of her purse and told the man that was the "winning" ticket's payoff.
Shortly after, the agent went back to the store to bust Baton. The winning ticket was found hidden in her notebook.
Seems the Lottery Commission makes these kind of random visits to sellers to make sure the games are played properly.
"Anyone that is working in a customer service job, you think that they are doing what is in your best interest. I would be very upset if someone took that from me," Winn-Dixie customer Nadina Puzic said.
A reader, posting on the NBC2 website on Wednesday, said the scam isn't unusual. "This is much more common than you would think. I put my name on the back always, and always notice when the cashier checks the back before she determines whether it won something or not. A favorite trick, pretend to throw ticket away after telling someone they did not win anything, and then when they leave, pull it out of the trash and collect."
Jacksonville-based Winn-Dixie responded with a statement:
"We are taking this matter very seriously as the trust and safety of our customers is our highest priority. The associate's employment has been terminated."
Baton posted a $5,000 bond on Tuesday. Her trial date is set for Feb. 26.
The lesson, even if it gnaws at you a bit for not trusting your fellow human: Make use of the Florida Lottery Commission's electronic checkers that are placed on the counters near the lottery machine. You'll save time, too, if there's a line.
(Click to display full-size in gallery)
Ain't she a sight for sore eyes? No.
Too bad more states didn't have undercover operations or we just know know about them. Can only recall a handful off the top of my head.
Minnesota has self check scanners.
No need to have a crooked store clerk "check" them.
If it's over $500, go to a local lottery office and collect.
If it's too high, the lottery officials may have to go to lottery headquarters to collect.
This stuff has happened before. I hope the law gets harsher for this type of crime.
l bet that lottery investigator got an adrenaline rush when he nailed her. Why?.. in speaking to some cops, they said that if fellow officers are under fire & they are in pursuit to the scene, an adrenaline rush kicks in, its not asked for, it just flows in.
Thank goodness CT has self ticket scanners. We also have an app to download to our phone to see if we are a winner.
Shame on her!!
I had a similar experience.
I played the winning number, but, didn't get the ticket.
I still had my play slip, so I went back to the store, asked the clerk, where is my ticket?
He said, "I don't have it"? I said, I have the play slip with the winning number on it that I played, but, I don't have the ticket"? I just left this store, so, check behind the machine.
He said, "It's not here".
I was like, I know you got that ticket, and I hope you needed it more than I did.
So, now, even if the line long, I stand there and check all my tickets ,and make sure they match my play slips.
It was a winning ticket, for, $350.00 off pick 3.
Good Luck
Wonder how many times she did this before she got caught. Somebody might have reported her. Glad they caught her.
Excellent point!
Maybe the self checking scanner wasn't on-line or working. We like to play in Indiana and more often than not the scanner is conveniently not working in the greater New Albany, IN stores. Then you give it to the clerk to check...
Now Crystelle Yvette Baton will be working in a rat hole of a store in the seedy side of town. That is if she gets hired. It will take years to correct her employment history.
Why would any LP Member not use USAMEGA and Lottery Post to check their numbers?
On toward a billion dollar jackpot!
Every Winn Dixie in FL I've been to have self scanners. Also if a winning ticket is scanned by a cashier the terminal will make CHACHING! sound. Whenever the self scanners are down. I go to another store! So many stores in Florida!
florida lotto needs to put a better system in place. when the clerk scans the tickets i want to hear music playing and winner or not a winner the screen. its there but not noticeable enough . ontario has it and its hard to not noticed you won or lose.
They turn down the volume so you don't hear the music of a winning ticket....
So you played, paid for your ticket, but didn't get it? Hmmm.
oh ok thanks they must have ! i did not know.
Really????? Learned something new. Thanks.
Sad story someone would do that. Georgia has self-scanners in many if not all stores. Georgia Lottery also has a cell phone app with a built in scanner.
All anyone has to do is, go online on their laptop or phone and Google, whatever state lottery. You can then get the winning numbers directly from the state lottery website. You can usually even watch the drawing.
And if the clerk gives you any crap whatsoever about your ticket in any way, you can just say, "Well, then I'm going to call the lottery office..." Do it in front of him. As soon as he hears you start to explain the problem, watch how fast he tries to make it right. (The phone number will be on the lottery website.)
Remember, he doesn't want to lose his lottery license because if he does, he's going to lose customers, and business.
I wouldn't take that as a clerk has your ticket. He could have mistakenly handed your ticket to the next customer or the ticket could of fell out after you exit the store. I think the fraud occurs when the ticket you hand them after the draw date is a winner and the clerk decide to jip you. Thoughts?
Using the tickets that printed, I would have determined the serial number of the missing ticket, and informed the clerk and the the lottery office that if that ticket got cashed, it was theft.
"Baton posted a $5,000 bond on Tuesday. "
So she tried to Steal $600 but then ends up having to have to pay $5,000.00 for her dishonesty. She got what she deserved. These are just the small percentage of people that have got caught it's a shame to think about all the ones who have gotten away. All for greed and money some people will do so much lying, and fraud
At least once a week I either watch clerks try to rip off players or they try to rip me off. Just today, I cashed in $8 worth of winning Keno tickets, saw the monitor show $5, $2, and $1 winners and the clerk handed me $3. The sad part was the clerk actually tried to pretend there was no $5 winner and said it was in the trash even though I saw them place all three tickets on the cash register. When I asked for the old ticket, it was "oh sorry about that, I made a mistake".
If state lotteries are really concerned about store clerks cheating players, sell all their drawn games online.
"Maybe the self checking scanner wasn't on-line or working."
I'm pretty sure that you can buy a lottery ticket even if you're not a rocket scientist. Or if you're a rocket scientist, but just don't know much about the lottery. I expect that there are plenty of people, especially those who only play occasionally, who don't know about the scanners.
"I think the fraud occurs when the ticket you hand them after the draw date is a winner"
There's a bit more risk in stealing a winning ticket than keeping one that has only just been sold, but stealing tickets that probably aren't going to be winners isn't exactly a great way to put money in your pocket. It will vary from game to game, but how many tickets would you need to steal in order to put $25 in your pocket?
The rational conclusion is that the clerk made an honest mistake, or that it's a case of player error.
"if that ticket got cashed, it was theft."
Or whoever cashed it in found it on the floor or in the parking lot after the player dropped it.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, where I live, and the state of New Hampshire, also have self check ticket scanners at stores that lottery customers can use.
Regards,
Kosh
SCEL-The play slip is not a valid receipt or proof of purchase. THE PRINTED. TICKET IS ...
Just a lack of integrity....You can't fix the gormless people.
most clerks in my town are pretty honest.
butt i also check my tickets at the scanner.
i was in georgia once gave the clerk a ticket for 330 and he gave me 290 i called him on it and he gave the rest.
said he made a mistake.
Similar as well. I handed 5 play slips to the clerk, filled out for 5 plays each and paid for 25 plays. When I got home I only had 4 tickets. I checked my handbag, the floor, the walkway, my car...no 5th ticket. Drove back to the store, and of course the clerk said he gave it to me (but he didn't). While he was looking around the counter, trash and floor, I noticed that the little ticket printer had the corner of a piece of paper sticking up behind it. There was my ticket! Apparently when printing multiple tickets at the same time, it can sometimes push tickets off the back and they fall behind the printer. Learned my lesson that day and now I count my tickets in front of the clerk before I leave the store.
We have scanners here in New York also JADE. Gets rid of the fraudsters.
A common rule applies to just about anything, that involves the transfer of money. Simply put: You get what you pay for.
Eat at a restaurant, you pay. Call a taxi, you pay for the service. Since any lottery ticket can be the winner- You purchase your tickets & leave the store without them? Inconceivable!
Here in Illinois, the employee can "check" a ticket if it's a winner, and there will be no sound. Or they can scan and it will CHACHING if a winner. I am always afraid they will "check" a winning ticket and say it's a loser.
Everywhere here there are self scanners and everytime I selfscan then when I hand them a ticket(s) I say, "here are X dollars of winners". If the self scanner is broke, I don't cash in my tickets there.
Some places have the outward facing screen displays that show the totals. I just don't like the idea of letting everyone in the store know I won a couple hundred.
I don't understand why so many seasoned lottery players use the self scanners. There are so many ways available to find out what the winning numbers are. If you check your tickets yourself, you will know what you've won and YOU can tell the clerk what the amount is when you cash it.
Not only does that eliminate the chance of the clerk giving you some BS amount, you also will appear more knowledgeable and as such, less likely to be scammed by dishonest clerks looking for inexperienced players that don't know what they are doing.
As far as tickets falling out of the machines, I've always kept my eye on that. Sometimes the clerk may be waiting on other customers and I've had to reach over the top of the machine and straighten them out or just take some out myself. But this month Md. has been installing new machines where the tickets come out on the front of the machine by the clerk, so it's not so easy to see if they are going all over the place or if someone is "pocketing" them.
I guess the best thing is to go to a couple places regularly, where you get to know them and vice versa, so they won't want to piss you off and lose a steady customer.
That is exactly right! There are many sites to get the numbers from and I also get the numbers sent to me from three sites, and for me in this state I can scan my ticket and it will tell you if and what you won. I then write down how much I won on the top of the ticket so there is no funny business if a clerk was so inclined. You have to know what you win or the least be somewhat informed, dont leave it up to others, you are only asking for problems, like this clerk.
That was a good suggestion about writing down your win on the ticket.
This is one reason why I only play by subscription. The other reasons are, the convenience, the security of knowing I can't loose my tickets, also any small are automatically credited to my account, if I win big, they will call me.
A thought just occurred to me that whether or not a state lottery has self check scanners available in stores where tickets are sold should be an item or factor to consider in grading state lotteries for the State Lottery Report Card here on this website.
Regards,
Kosh
Off the subject a tad, but aren't Australian winnings tax free?
We would all have known how much we won since we would have watched the drawing or checked our local state's website or even used the lottery ticket scanner on the counter in the store.
But, there are people that play the lottery on a whim and aren't hardcore players like us. They don't know the pay-outs for hitting and "trust" the lottery person to let them know.
This story is not about players like us, but rather a woman that tried to scam someone whom she thought was an unseasoned lottery player that had no idea what their ticket might have been worth and got caught.
Shame.... shame..... shame
The opening line to this piece is " Do you trust your store clerk with your lottery ticket"- The short answer is Yes, BUT only AFTER l the ticket holder, has verified that it's a winner. The only times the clerk has physical contact with my tickets is, A: After he/ she has run my payslip through and handed me my tickets. B- when l hand them my winning tickets to receive my payment. That's It!
If one has poor eyesight and can't read the " Winner or Non winner" sign, my suggestion is carry a small magnifying glass around with you.There is no shame in doing that, especially when it comes to checking your money.
I don't understand why so many seasoned lottery players use the self scanners. There are so many ways available to find out what the winning numbers are. If you check your tickets yourself, you will know what you've won and YOU can tell the clerk what the amount is when you cash it.
Yes, I am a seasoned player, but I am also human. With regards to scratchers, people often miss a winning number and throw away a winning card. I manually scan all my tickets that I know are winners, sometimes my prize is higher then I thought because I missed a match. Do you want me to give the cashier a 50$ winner and say it's a 20$ winner?!? What do you think they'll pay me? In the scratcher forum right now is a posting from a guy who thought he only won 1,000$, later he noticed he actually won $5000. Of course he would have cashed the ticket at the lottery office and they usually are more trust worthy. Then a week ago I read about guy that thought he won $10,000 on a crossword scratcher, turns out he won a million he didn't even know on a ticket he "checked" himself. I also save my "losing" scratchers and run them thru the scanner in a batch, I sometimes get $$ from a ticket I missed. For jackpot games, I check my numbers too. But when you have multiple slips or slips with with 10 sets of 5-6 numbers, it can get ugly.
Not only does that eliminate the chance of the clerk giving you some BS amount, you also will appear more knowledgeable and as such, less likely to be scammed by dishonest clerks looking for inexperienced players that don't know what they are doing.
Go ahead and hand that clerk a 50$ ticket you told her was a a ticket you thought was 20$ ticket, you will never know if you were ripped off. In the past, before scanners, a couple times I ended up getting more then I thought, luckily I had honest clerks and I didn't tell them what I "thought" it was worth. Hey, it's your money, or in some cases, it could be the clerks money, do what you want. If a clerk sees me at the self scanner and I tell the person the amount I won, they know their totals should match or they will have to show the receipts and everything to prove me wrong. If I walk in and short change myself because of ego, it would be my loss.
I do like the idea of writing the prize amount on the tickets, especially for pick3-4 slips that are one set per ticket, but for others I will always doublecheck with a scanner.
I agree with you on checking scratch offs on a scanner for the reasons you mentioned, but I myself don't play them.
However, I still think its a good idea to tell the clerk what the ticket is worth on the Pick 3- 4 games. I have gone to a store, (that I don't normally frequent) to cash an $80 box ticket and was told, They couldn't cash it because they didn't have enough money in the register.
I have also had 7/11 clerks tell me they couldn't cash a larger amount and that I would have to wait 10/15 minutes for them to be able to get into the safe to get the money. Which I did.
Now what would happen if a clerk had scanned the ticket and then told me they couldn't cash it? I wouldn't be able to go anywhere else to do it because it would show up as having already been paid. And if I had to come back later and there was a different clerk there, do you really think they would believe me when I told them what happened?
On the flip side, I have had clerks tell me they can't cash such and such amount right now, but if I would come back tomorrow they would be able to. And they did.
So it does pay, (literally) to stick to a couple of stores and become a regular customer, and not just for lottery tickets if possible.
I don't know about any where else, but here when you cash a winning ticket, it shows up on the screen facing the customer how much it is worth. And that was even before the self scanners. And even if it didn't, you can always ask for a receipt, the same as any other place of business.
I always know what I won and if for some reason the clerk say not a winner I get my ticket back recheck then tear it up if I can't win won't no one else off that ticket!
I remember they did a TV show on it. It was Chris Hansen(the guy that hosts the Catch a Predator shows) and they went to a few stores. I would say a good amount of people tried paying them less and then even showed their store camera footage of pocketing tickets. Maybe it was a tad scripted, but I would bet money that this type of stuff happens alot. Google "chris hansen lottery" and you can see some of the episode from Dateline NBC.
That's why I always check my numbers before i hand them over to the clerk. I know how much i won.