E! Television to air 'Curse of the Lottery' Sunday

Comment #99

guesser — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 21:56:25 GMT

Who are you referring to ? I don't see any examples of that here.

Comment #98

tony95 — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 19:18:53 GMT

Wow, I didn't realize a person would have to make a choice between pompous/showy and cheap/reserved. I always thought a person could own a nice house in a good neighborhood, drive a new model car and still be a decent human being. But I am sure that is not what you meant.

Comment #97

Bob21456 — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 18:28:28 GMT

This is probably a bigmistake.... what is a sock puppet

Comment #96

Coin Toss — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:57:56 GMT

I want to congratulate everyone here for not introducing any sock puppets into a 10 page thread.

Comment #95

Bob21456 — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 23:03:03 GMT

TV SUX's.... Makes you look old and fat.... I hate it....LOL

Comment #94

justxploring — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 23:00:16 GMT

Well, the press often makes mistakes. Hey, one paper took 10 years off your age too! LOL Wish someone would do that for me.

Edit: What I meant is the paper said it was your 40th birthday. A misprint.

Comment #93

Bob21456 — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:59:48 GMT

Go Back to page 7.... I pulled the info from Ventura County Web page

Comment #92

Bob21456 — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:57:13 GMT

No that was the original story the lottery people put out..they knew it was the same guy who sold it. and stole it who was trying to claim it.... but didn't put that out to the press at first....I don't know why..but that was the story they ran with....they asked me not to say anything so I didn't

Comment #91

justxploring — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:47:52 GMT

Thanks for answering me. The live video broadcast on WNBC on March 30 reports

Lottery officials said a third man, not the clerk, arrived at lottery headquarters in Van Nuys with the ticket and tried to claim the prize money. Officials became suspicious when the man could not tell them where he bought the ticket and whether it was a quick pick of randomly chosen numbers, simple questions officials said a prizewinner should be able to answer.

Is this correct? What crimes, if an... [ More ]

Comment #90

Bob21456 — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:29:24 GMT

Something to mark on your calendar.... October 25.... CBC show THE FIFTH ESTATE... They are doing a piece that compares Canadian and USA lottery... What happens when lottery officials discover a fraudulent claim for collection of a lottery prize... And they investigated the higher percentage of store clerks claiming prizes as compared to the general public..... Link to site.... www.cbc.ca/fifth By the way...I'm On That Show TOOO

Comment #89

Bob21456 — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:16:57 GMT

Because it is important for everyone to know what happened so it will not happen to them... Michael Finney is the consumer reporter for ABC news in San Francisco... He told me that the story did not get much news coverage in that area and he wants the people to know... besides that he spoke of proposing legislation that would require all lottery retailers to install video cameras that would be used to varify the purchaser of winning lottery tickets.... Not all retailers have video cameras.... Ho... [ More ]

Comment #88

justxploring — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 20:23:31 GMT

Bob, please don't take this as a criticism, just a curiosity. Why are you going to be on ABC news? Many people who have won over $100 million haven't had as much publicity and you seem to be inviting it, even posted closeup personal photos on a board along with your email address. After all it is a choice.

BTW, since you are one of the few lucky members here and have admitted you don't even know what you're doing to do with the money you won, why not say thanks by contributing that sm... [ More ]

Comment #87

Bob21456 — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 18:15:49 GMT

Dammmmmm I look bad on TV.... Glad they used a lot of shots of my wife... After seeing that I am sorry ABC News is coming today for another interview.... AHHHH.... Keep the opinions coming.... They help a lot..... Bob

Comment #86

DoubleDown — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 14:30:30 GMT

I watched the show last night and sit there shaking my head at some of the sad stories...

Bob, I'm glad you got your money. Let the system take care of the thief.

After viewing the stories on David Edwards and Bud Post, I stand by my original statement that stupid is as stupid does, with or without money.

DD

Comment #85

guesser — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 03:54:11 GMT

Nobody here can speculate on what thoughts are going through someones' mind as a victim unless it's happened to you.

Have you ever had your house burglarized when you were away, have you ever had your car broken into ?

It might not be so much that someone feels they were 'robbed', it's the fact that you lose a little more trust in people, you look at people differently, it changes you: 'I used to have a stereo like that', 'I used to have that CD', 'I used to have a car like that... [ More ]

Comment #84

sirbrad — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 01:12:13 GMT

Just a reminder that it is on now.

Comment #83

fja — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:27:49 GMT

I think the trouble your having is that you dont feel you got robbed, it feels like someone found something you dropped unkowingly, and now that its back in your hands, there was really no sense of loss...I also tend to give people the benefit of the doubt, the old no harm no foul rule,,,,your stuggling with this because you never felt like a victim, maybe?

But he did steal, and he got caught (you never would have known eitherif the lottery commision just gave the guy with the ticket the m... [ More ]

Comment #82

uncleelmer — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:27:07 GMT

Speak you peace but remember that you did prevail in the end by getting your well deserved winnings. Show mercy. You'll feel better and open yourself up to the good around you instead of the negative. Always be kind. The person who shafted you will pay for his crime and should but you can afford to be kind and merciful and this will allow you to let it all go and move on to better and more positive things. Good luck and congratulations to you

Comment #81

Todd — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 22:36:11 GMT

I'll take a bet that Todd is Todd. For better or for worse, eh

Comment #80

justxploring — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 22:34:20 GMT

Coin Toss - I agree totally. Guesser, GasMeterGuy - I also agree. I added this post to write that Unfortunately I've been the victim of more than one crime. Although I know little about the court system, I spoke at a sentencing hearing for the defendant of a violent act and followed the advice of the Victim's Witness Advocate. I lived in MA but probably all states follow similar procedures.

When the prosecutor has a case, it is the State against the Defendant. The judge must go by cert... [ More ]

Comment #79

guesser — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 20:32:24 GMT

Ask anyone that worked at Enron or MCI.

And I concur with GMG: to have something like this happen changes you: you don't trust people as much as you did, not with lottery tickets, not with anything. It changes you. They don't care. They would do it again if given a chance. You really have to wonder how many 'small dollar' tickets he swapped. Maybe none, maybe several, you don't know. It still bothers me the guy won't admit to anything.

Comment #78

GASMETERGUY — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 20:19:24 GMT

Bob

I have been robbed twice. The person or persons who did it are still out there. I have a nightly fear they might return since my house must have seemed like easy pickings to them.

I have installed motion sensors all over my yard. I check the batteries every week end. I test the system every month.

These people did not steal my lathe, my table saw, my bandsaw, and my riding mower; they stole a part of my life. I had to give up many hours of my life to earn the money to buy those... [ More ]

Comment #77

Coin Toss — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 20:01:07 GMT

I have to throw this into this thread:

If people posting here were to learn of someone embezzling half a million dollars from their workplace, how would they feel about the person who did that

Comment #76

guesser — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 18:55:08 GMT

If the guy is convicted of a felony - of theft - that could very much do enough damage that he learns from it, and hopefully it gets enough PR that others see it also. It's a bit harder to get a job with a theft felony found in your background check. But that was his choice, not yours. But for him to continue to deny it tells me if he gets away with it, he will try something else to someone else. I'm thinking most folks that make mistakes in their lives admit them and move on. This guy is... [ More ]

Comment #75

Bob21456 — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 17:42:46 GMT

I am still here.... I want to thak everyone for sharing their thoughts on the sentence.... I am printing all of them to read the night before the sentencing hearing..... Keep the opinions coming.... there is no right or wrong opinion.... and it helps to know how others think....

Comment #74

guesser — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 16:50:06 GMT

How's this for comparison:

Andrew Fastow - the former Enron CFO - helped bilk BILLIONS of dollars from people, robbed people of their retirements, robbed people of their stock holdings, put thousands of people out of work - and made millions himself - got sentenced to 6 years in prison yesterday.

Bob21456 - where did you go

Comment #73

justxploring — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 16:17:07 GMT

After all, isn't this grand, grand, grand larseny. Tony

Why isn't this grand larceny? Interesting that so many (me)

Tony, I apologize - I apparently transposed your words. So I was really agreeing with you! At my age maybe I should read posts out loud! LOL I should have actually written most of that on a blog, since the subject here was the tv show, not the theft. I just went a little nuts because I've been cheated lost a lot of money, so I think it's a lot worse when... [ More ]

Comment #72

KY Floyd — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 15:23:33 GMT

Feeling bad for the guy is all well and good, but that doesn't mean his misfortune isn't his own fault or that he shouldn't be held accountable. As far as a felony conviction haunting him for the rest of his life, I wouldn't count on it. It can keep him from getting some jobs, and if he's in the minority of eligible voters who actually vote he'll have to give that up, but he'll also get to skip jury duty. For a lot of jobs it won't even come up or it won't matter, and if the guy was working as... [ More ]

Comment #71

ironbelle — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 05:19:26 GMT

Guesser - You know what? I kind of do that right now. If there is something I want, I really try to think about buying it. I rent a small 1BR apartment so there is not much room for anything, so I'm careful about buying stuff such as furniture, wide screens etc. I work for an electronics company and we get discounts on big TV's but where is it going to go? I ask myself. I want to win a jackpot just so that I can prove that you can be happy with all that money! I'm glad this thread started becaus... [ More ]

Comment #70

guesser — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 21:06:33 GMT

Yes, you are correct.

My point was, with the correct investment tools, and as long as a person does not go overboard, one can live a long, long time on an average amount of income, you just have to decide what lifestyle you want: Do you want to be pompous and showy, or do you want to be quiet, reserved, frugal (ie: 'cheap'), etc.

Comment #69

justxploring — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 19:41:10 GMT

Also - From the Ventura County Star:

***The next day, Grair allegedly tried to cash Sehested's ticket at the Lottery Commission's office in Van Nuys, but couldn't answer all the standard questions asked of winners of six-figure prizes including where and when he bought the ticket and whether the winning numbers were personally selected or quick picks.

Before Grair returned to the office for a second interview, lottery agent Jim Dumelle had reviewed a surveillance video from the liquor... [ More ]

Comment #68

justxploring — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 19:00:31 GMT

EDIT: Just wanted to say that for some strange reason, I've been thinking the clerk we are talking about is a young man. He is 42 years old, certainly old enough to know better!! I guess all the posts about feeling sorry for the guy threw me and I just myself be brainwashed.

Also, something else is going on here. I am trying not to be judgmental, but read the news article. This man LIED IN COURT UNDER OATH!! Not only did he plead not guilty on all counts, but he was BACK IN COURT (u... [ More ]

Comment #67

justxploring — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 17:53:57 GMT

I feel bad for the guy, this is the dumbest act I have ever heard of. If he gets 5 1/2 years, hopefully he will be out in 1-2 years (likely, being a non-violent offender). It will teach him a lesson and let everyone know this type of crime is unacceptable. After all, isn't this grand, grand, grand larseny.

Why isn't this grand larceny? Interesting that so many people are feeling sorry for a thief. It's also puzzling that some members here don't think it's as serious as stealing a car.... [ More ]

Comment #66

Bob21456 — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 17:32:32 GMT

NO NO NO.... These are the charges filed for stealing the lottery ticket.... He pled guilty to stealing personal property.... and presenting a fraudelent claim.... the other counts...186...1202 are sentence enhancement for the amount of the theft and claim

Comment #65

tony95 — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 17:18:37 GMT

Is this the guy's record that tried to steal your lottery ticket, if so I would ask for no mercy. He has had plenty of chances to go straight and clearly has chose a life of crime. The longer he is off the street, the better. He should never be employed in a place where he handles money.

Comment #64

Bob21456 — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 17:18:32 GMT

Pulled from Ventura County Court Web Page

Comment #63

Tenaj — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 16:57:28 GMT

Hmmmmmmmm. 186 hit straight in Kentucky last night from one of the violation numbers. 1186 combo will make a good pick 4 number. 118 have been hitting a lot lately or you can turn it over to 188. 2022 will make a good pick 4.

It's got to be a reason this is shown. There's a lot of good numbers on here. I guess Sam Grair can't for deflamation of character if what is presented is true . Besides this is public record anyway.

Comment #62

Bob21456 — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 16:39:21 GMT

2006014672 Sam Grair

Case Number Offense Level Court Location Agency Code Citation Number Case Status

2006014672 F V CSLC OPEN

Defendant Name

Sam Grair

Jail Length Jail Length Unit Probation Type Probation Length Probation Unit Warrant Type Warrant Amount

Violation Date Court Date Create Warrant Date Dispostion Date Last Sentence Date

02152006 06262006

Mandatory Appear Calendar Date Time Courtroom

Y 10192006 130P 12

ROC translati... [ More ]

Comment #61

dvdiva — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 21:33:10 GMT

Eventually some winner will give a lottery legal notice that this rule places them in harms way. Once that is done it would open the lottery up to very heavy financial damage should anything happen to the winner. The estate of a winner getting murdered over the prize would get more than what the prize was worth. It will only take one time for this to happen before all states allow anonymous claims especially of jackpot style games. Of course if the winner chooses to go on Operah that would be th... [ More ]

Comment #60

tony95 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 20:14:05 GMT

I feel bad for the guy, this is the dumbest act I have ever heard of. If he gets 5 1/2 years, hopefully he will be out in 1-2 years (likely, being a non-violent offender). It will teach him a lesson and let everyone know this type of crime is unacceptable. After all, isn't this grand, grand, grand larseny. Tell the court it was a stupid act and he should do some time for it and leave it up to them what to do next. Just a felony conviction is going to haunt him for the rest of his life, but... [ More ]

Comment #59

csfb — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 20:02:54 GMT

I saw this news on TV. My first thought at that time was: who, what, how , and where was the ticket stolen? I didn't realize, the clerk did it by switching tickets.

Bob21456, congratulations on your win.

In an earlier post, you seem very concerned about the 5 and 1/2 yr prison term for this kind of non-violent crime. I, too have a problem with the prison system. They don't really do much to rehabilitate the individual, I believe. But what would be an alternative? Until we have a be... [ More ]

Comment #58

tony95 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 19:45:07 GMT

Amen...

And the media loves to feed this simple-minded notion. This is one of the biggest problems in America, people need to think with their heads not their emotions. Be glad for the winnners, even though you envy them.

Comment #57

tony95 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 19:40:37 GMT

I'll have to set my DVR.

Comment #56

csfb — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 19:36:15 GMT

Misery loves company. So true. Some people revel at the misery of others; they don't revel the same way when they see your good fortune.

Comment #55

Bob21456 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 19:31:56 GMT

The show will be on again the 27th at 9 PM

Comment #54

tony95 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 19:13:58 GMT

Wish I had seen this. Did this guy think he was Snoop Dog or something? Even if I won a $200 million jackpot, I would buy a used yacht and luxury car off of ebay at an auction price (not more than 100K). I have too much respect for money for that kind of waste.

Comment #53

tony95 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 19:07:05 GMT

I wasn't really thinking about it after taxes, I would have to win about $6 million to make that happen. Even so, 75K/yr in the year 2046 would probably put me close to (or below) the poverty line. Not to mention the fact that I don't want to die at age 74, hopefully I will make it to at least 85.

If I didn't quit my job and made good investments for 40 years then I would do pretty well, but then that would not really be retiring on $3 million. However, I don't really have to worry about t... [ More ]

Comment #52

guesser — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 19:02:05 GMT

He was a thug.

He should be kept in prison for robbing us of oxygen.

Comment #51

Tenaj — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 19:00:11 GMT

It was that teenage guy that made me cringe. I almost felt he didn't deserve to win the lottery. And the whole time they were showing that segment, I thought, is that the king's English they are speaking. We've come a long way. They need Professor Higgins. All of their syllables just ran into and over each other. I'm was like - what did you just say? gee

Comment #50

guesser — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:52:50 GMT

I absolutely agree with you. I just cringed when I saw they guy that bought a 'big' jet airplane, and then the guy that bought the mansion in Florida but lost it over a $5,000 home association dues not being paid ? I saw his cars, one was a Ferrari Enzo - a 1.2 million dollar car.

If I won it, I'd buy a place slightly newer than the one I have, and to be honest, yes, I'd buy an exotic car, but not a 1.2 million dollar exotic car (and even that is only if I won THE Powerball Jackpot). But... [ More ]

Comment #49

guesser — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:44:34 GMT

Tony, with the right kind of planning, 3 million would definitely last a lifetime (figuring 40 years at paying yourself $75,000 a year - and at this point tax-free since you paid taxes on it before they handed you the check) and that's not counting any interest you may have earned, or stock market profits, but 2 million ? Maybe not, but that's mainly because of the cost of health care.

Winning $200,000 - $500,000 is good enough to pay off debt (for the most part), and possibly have a l... [ More ]

Comment #48

Bob21456 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:38:23 GMT

I thought the show was good... I think more emphasis on how to protect yourself should have been added.... That is my message so I am kind of biased about that... Other than the fact I hate seeing myself on TV... I enjoyed the show..

Comment #47

tony95 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:31:45 GMT

I have a problem with the media making a big deal out of people spending all of there winnings in a few years. If your including winners that only take in $200-300K, then of course that's going to go fast. I have a spreadsheet of what I would spend a state lotto win on and it would be gone fairly quickly. I would buy a decent car and boat, pay my debts, do some work on my house, take a vacation and it would be about gone. Let's face it, 99% of lottery jackpots don't pay retirement money. E... [ More ]

Comment #46

fastball 9 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:25:34 GMT

Bob:

I want to thank you for your posts. They were informative and, for a change, right on. What your doing regarding the sentence is your call, and I respect your fortrightness on the topic. Good luck with the whole episode.

I watched the show last night by chance and was impressed with it overall. I was wondering, since your a real winner in the game, what you thought of the show and how it handled the topic. My feeling was they did a good job, even showing the young lady

Comment #45

guesser — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:24:47 GMT

Bob, I never called you a liar, maybe someone else did. I said it's too easy to pose as an imposter, to portray someone else, on the internet, and that includes pictures. If you are who you say you are, great, and if not, fine, life still goes on.

I have read your story in the paper, you said the lesson you learned was to sign your ticket immediately upon purchase, I was surprised the show didn't really go into that at all, signing it, putting it in a bank vault, any of that stuff. I was... [ More ]

Comment #44

Bob21456 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:08:12 GMT

I apologize to all.... got carried away when by my interpretation of the comments... I do not like being called a liar...

I believe in Karma. Everything happens for a reason. My wife and I always agreed that we would not tell anyone if we hit the lottery. After finding out we had won, and the clerk had stolen our winning ticket, we did not hesitate in going public; it was important for the public to know so they would be able to protect themselves from this ever happening to them. As it tu... [ More ]

Comment #43

Coin Toss — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 17:35:04 GMT

timint

There's a thread here on LP about a winner in Oklahoma remaining anonymous.

In the book Infinite Financial Freedom, What To Do Before and after You Hit the Lottery, it's suggested that jackpot winners buy Kidnap Ransom insurance.

///////////////////////////

Bob....

If you're still reading this thread...on the program, you mentioned that you believe in karma. Think about that with the comments here about court....and, all things considered, think about what the clerk... [ More ]

Comment #42

timint — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 16:27:28 GMT

From the original post we have,

Susan Bradley on the best way to claim a winning lottery ticket One of the first things a lottery winner should do in a perfect world is not claim the ticket in their name. You can form a blind trust, and you can have the lottery winnings put into the trust.

I just checked the FAQ page for the Virginia Lottery about anonymous claimants and found this:

Can I remain anonymous when I claim my lottery winnings?

No. Winners often ask if they c... [ More ]

Comment #41

sirbrad — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 16:21:25 GMT

Maybe instead of jail time he could be forced to continue working and pay a lifetime annuity. So it actually costs him A LOT of money for being so greedy. Some clerks actually get tips for their honesty. I never check big wins that I can't cash in by machines, I also make a few copies, front and back.

The lottery needs make some changes with the machine however, so it shows how much you win to the ticket holder. They have the jackpot amounts in BIG BOLD letters, so they should find a way to... [ More ]

Comment #40

Todd — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 14:27:50 GMT

Bob,

Congrats on your win. I'm sure that if nothing else it was a good learning experience for you, and I'm sure you don't let other people check your tickets any more. Also, it's good that you're telling the story, because hopefully other future potential scam victims can avoid your situation.

You sound very compassionate about the criminal, and I think it's good that you are taking your role in his sentencing seriously.

My recommendation to you is to not oppose whatever the standard... [ More ]

Comment #39

DoubleDown — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 14:24:59 GMT

Bob, You asked for input and then when you got some you didn't like, you fired back with insulting remarks . That was uncalled for.

If you didn't like the response you could always ignore it, or better yet go someplace else and ask for advice.

I think you owe JXP an apology.

DD

Comment #38

Coin Toss — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 13:59:48 GMT

Bob

To show up on a board and tell someone to just go away is a little strong. You asked for input and justxploring gave you some.

As for the 5 1/2 years....if you don't push for it, you're just letting him free to try the same thing on somone else. Think about that. Criminals get a finite time sentence, sometimes life. Victims always get 'life' ( it haunts them the rest of their life). Personally, I think instead of being too lenient, you're obligated to push for jail time, not for your... [ More ]

Comment #37

justxploring — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 08:26:15 GMT

Bob, now that you've plastered your face all over the thread (you look a little crazed) will you please go back and read my comments? I didn't accuse you of anything. If you spend some time to read the archives you'll see that there have been many imposters here. Some members aren't nearly as polite as I was in pointing that out to you. I just looked at what I wrote, and there wasn't anything insulting or offensive. In fact, I believe I told you to go with your conscience and then wrote how I... [ More ]

Comment #36

Bob21456 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 06:49:41 GMT

Better picture

Comment #35

delores247 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 06:46:04 GMT

That was an interesting Show,I Think for now i am happy with a normal life,I don't think i am ready to win the Lottery yet after watching that show but i mostly play pick3 and cash five but every once in a while now and then i play the lottery,however years ago i use to play it a lot and won 4 ,5 out of 6 it was a fun game to me i guess i will keep it that way,The lesson i learn from this information was to never take money for granted and Don't let Money Change the Person you are that can be da... [ More ]

Comment #34

Bob21456 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 06:41:30 GMT

Comment #33

Tenaj — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 06:30:35 GMT

You can edit within 20 minutes. Look for the edit button at the top.

Comment #32

Tenaj — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 06:24:31 GMT

Don't get angry Bob, we have a lot of imposters and people full of you know what posting. I watched the show.

Comment #31

Bob21456 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 06:17:37 GMT

Last post should have been posted to this

Comment #30

Bob21456 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 06:15:24 GMT

The thing is.... I had no idea that my ticket was switched.... Life went on as normal... If security had not discovered the fraud... I would never have known that I was the winner and never would have ever thought about it again.... Life has not changed since receiving the money....I have not touched it.... locked in CD till next month and I will probably roll it over for another 6 months because I still have not decided how I will invest it.

Comment #29

Bob21456 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 06:05:03 GMT

Did you watch the show.... remember what I look like..... That is why I offered to send a picture..... or maybe I followed him to San Diego and and went on a two day tuna fishing trip with him just to get his picture

Comment #28

guesser — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 05:53:00 GMT

If you e-mail jack.nicholson@cox.net you can get me, but I'm not Jack Nicholson... not doubting you, but anyone can take a name if it's available, and even you have to admit it's odd that you won the mini-lottery in February, and today is your very first posting on here - in coincidence with a TV show......

A final thought - what if you won 'the big one', a clerk checked your ticket, saw it was the winner, and handed it back to you. Now let's say he follows you out the door and sho... [ More ]

Comment #27

Bob21456 — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 05:42:57 GMT

Let's see.... Feb 14 was his 50th birthday and he bought 50 tickets..... What do you think the 2-14-56 stands for in bob21456.... How about this..... send an email to robertsehested or bobsehested @aol.com I will send you a picture.....then you can apologies for calling me an imposter...

Who is spilling their guts out? If you didn't have you head stuck up your *** and thought about the big picture, maybe you would consider that our prison system is a criminal college. We lock them up and they... [ More ]

Comment #26

guesser — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 05:41:02 GMT

I find it hard to feel sorry for anybody that tried to fraud anyone.

What if the shoe was on the other foot ?

What if he got away with it ?

Where does it stop ?

Who else has he done it to and gotten away with, even if it's a low-dollar ticket ?

I agree, 5 1/2 years is a bit much, but it's the dollar amount - what if your financial manager squandered all of your winnings and left you with nothing ? Would you feel any different towards him/her ? It happens all the time... [ More ]

Comment #25

dvdiva — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 05:36:07 GMT

If someone stole my car I'd just laugh. Of course they would have to start it first.

I think loosing 500k that you won in a lottery would be far less tramatic then many violent crimes.

Comment #24

Tenaj — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 19:52:26 GMT

I guess it was easy for me to say since it didn't happen to me. If it had happened to me, I'll probably be saying hang'em high LOL That is a lot of money to be out of. The blow of being out of it would have been like a violent crime.

Comment #23

justxploring — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 19:39:16 GMT

There are a lot of people who join this site and post that they are someone from a news article. Sometimes we see 2 or 3 new names with one post and then they disappear into the dust. Assuming you are really Robert Sehested, I am sure you've received advice from the State Prosecutor's office. I was the victim of a crime and I certainly didn't go to an internet board to spill my guts and ask for advice. Anyway, as Tenaj suggested, just let your conscience be your guide and tell the truth.

No... [ More ]

Comment #22

Tenaj — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 18:48:34 GMT

Follow your conscious. If your conscious is going to bug you, speak up for the guy. Because if you don't it will be a thorn in your flesh.

Comment #21

Bob21456 — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 18:39:13 GMT

They told me that I will also be on the show... I am the guy from Camarillo tha the clerk switched tickets with and tried to claim my $530,000 winnings.... He just pled guilty the other day and is looking at 5 1/2 years in prison... I have a problem with the sentence..I will get to that later...

I still have all of my winnings... Put in a 6 month CD so I could think about how to invest it.... I think the problem with winners who wasted all their money comes down to one fact... They have never... [ More ]

Comment #20

ironbelle — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 06:54:02 GMT

When I hear of drug/alcohol problems, I think those are problems that lottery winners had BEFORE they won the money. I know two different people who were lottery winners. One guy went to trade school with me and we never saw him back at school after he won. This guy wound up in jail so I don't even think he got to spend the money. This was in 1986 when the only option of payments was installments and not cash out. The 2nd person was a wife who's husband bought the ticket. When she was hired, she... [ More ]

Comment #19

Skylaquisha — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 05:07:13 GMT

Exactly.

Comment #18

starchild_45 — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 17:59:56 GMT

i thought about trying to get on this show but they do casting calls. the last one was in new york city. i am a long way from there.

Comment #17

LOTTOMIKE — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 08:22:03 GMT

.i know i wouldn't be cursed if i won.i wish they would do a show on what GOOD has happened with nice lottery winners.

Comment #16

justxploring — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 07:44:20 GMT

I already know what I would struggle with, unless I won so much money it wouldn't matter. I know one family member who is high on my list and needs financial assistance, but if he slipped and told other family members, then that's where the problems would begin. I don't have anything now yet I ran into this when preparing my will.

Comment #15

Kidzmom — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 05:31:17 GMT

These are basically the same 4 or 5 stories that have been blown up for years.......................................So out of these people that have had bad luck, you trying to tell me that the rest of the unnamed lotto winners are having bad luck too? Somebody has to be happy! If you think about it, most people's lives were already like this when they won, they just did not get sound advice about it. Me, I am very happy with $10.00. People are going to hound you to no end though. I would ha... [ More ]

Comment #14

LckyLary — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 04:17:40 GMT

It's something how virtually every negative story about Lottery winners mentions Jack Whittaker. (I could not find the slot machine he supposedly invented at Caesars)

Often a Lottery win became a curse because of events and situations leading up to the day of the win. The more ex-lovers and the more a person depended on others plus their intelligence and their caring or not caring what others think of them, the more these situations are magnified after a win. I always say that whoever was the... [ More ]

Comment #13

tntea — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 11:53:38 GMT

A person is as happy as they allow themselves to be...

It doesn't take Money to make one happy...

Comment #12

toot — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 04:10:00 GMT

Me to the lotto winners:

Awwww, I'm so gosh awful sorry that you guys won the lotto. What a curse.

Me to God:

Dear Lord, will you please curse me to win the PB lottery today. Amen.

Comment #11

Coin Toss — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 04:05:48 GMT

Touche.

Don't forget though guys, statistics say that three out of five lottery winners are bankrupt within five years, and has been pointed out in this thread, that's what makes news!

I'm going to try and watch this, hoping that a couple of heavy players I know watch it.

Comment #10

justxploring — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 03:06:48 GMT

All I can say is......

Comment #9

DoubleDown — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 21:02:21 GMT

Regarding the original story here, just let me win a PB or MM jackpot and I will show everyone that it is NOT a curse.

They can choose to portray the losers if they like because after all, it's ratings they are after and sad stories sell....

I would bust their little bubble..

DD

Comment #8

DoubleDown — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 01:12:51 GMT

JXP, hindsight is 20/20 as they say, but he was dead-on right .

How many people are that lucky to nail the right case ?

Anyway, he should be ( and I'm sure he is ) happy to get the $675K, and yes, he was sweating like a ( well...you know )....____ in church...

DD

Comment #7

jeffrey — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 01:12:50 GMT

People are as happy as they want to be; after they have the basics of living. Most people don't need more.

All lottery winners have the chore of saying no and the crazies who chase their money. Keep the secret and find your joy.

Comment #6

justxploring — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 23:41:34 GMT

DD, I wasn't sure. $3 million. Ouch! That makes it even worse. I think he was going for that one extra shot and his wife was going crazy and he was sweating so much that he caved in, but that must have really hurt! Still, I'd love to win $675,000 but walking away knowing you actually had the $3 million in your case.... You're right - it was #25, which I think was his wedding anniversary or some special date. Still, I probably would have walked away sooner, so I think he was very lucky. I w... [ More ]

Comment #5

TheGameGrl — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 22:55:09 GMT

I concur whole heartedly with Sirbrads comments! Bring on the curse, and I will gladly bless it with wonderous results!

As to the tv drama, its A-typical for the meida to spruce up the negative. Thus why reading a good book and sipping sweet southern tea is a dream come true no matter what income ya have

Comment #4

DoubleDown — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 22:25:10 GMT

I saw that show too... He actually had $ 3 Million in his case...he correctly picked his case from among , what is it, 25 ?

He turned down $600K , then accepted $675K, but had he went on...

He would have been offered $1.1 Million...

I bet he sure would have taken that and walked !!!!

DD

Comment #3

sirbrad — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 21:47:50 GMT

Good stories are too boring, and there are far more good than bad. However the media likes to focus on the negative ones, as that is what human nature is typically attracted to. Misery loves company. Of course a sudden windfall is not going to buy intelligence and wisdom. But I think they are taking the most extreme cases to show what can possibly happen but actually rarely ever does.

Most of the winners already had messed up lives to begin with, and was ill-prepared to handle such money.

Comment #2

justxploring — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 20:30:07 GMT

We've all seen stories like this on TV and in the newspaper. I guess they're becoming more popular these days. I was watching Deal or No Deal the other night and a contestant's wife was screaming at him because he kept turning down a lot of money. I joined her! Finally he accepted $675,000 and it turned out he actually did have $2 million in his case. But if he had taken the risk and ended up with only a dollar, it would have been much, much worse. After taxes $675K is a lot more than he st... [ More ]

Comment #1

Guest — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 20:23:27 GMT

All you hear are the B A D stories Please Tell some of the Good ones.

E! Television to air 'Curse of the Lottery' Sunday

Lottery Post — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 19:54:13 GMT

It's what dreams are made of: buy anything you want and more. But for some, winning the lottery is not all champagne, limousines and mansions, and brings only misery and regret.

The sudden influx of cash can lead down a dark road to drugs, bankruptcy and even death. Why does blissful prosperity rarely ensue? Are those who win big truly destined for doom?

Uncovering the stories behind 10 real-life lucky ticket holders, E! sits with lottery winners, their friends and family, as well as fi... [ More ]