Georgia gas station employee accused of stealing over $127,000 of lottery tickets in scanning scam

Comment #18

Ranett — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 16:11:17 GMT

Great tips, thanks for sharing.

Comment #17

aracelia2004 — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 05:31:14 GMT

My all time favorite time of paying out scratch tickets was about 25 years ago in WA before they had phone apps or self check thing in the business. A lady bought a $2.00 bingo scratch ticket. Scratched it in the store goes I made my money back at least. Hands me the ticket and goes I wanna cash this in before my husband walks in a yells at me for buying tickets again. Scan the ticket on the lottery machine turned around and go I can't pay this out. With a completely straight face. She looked at... [ More ]

Comment #16

aracelia2004 — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 04:42:41 GMT

I have worked retail for years using lotto/lottery machines. Here is a few pointers for people. Most state now have place you can check your tickets yourself before you turn them in so you will know what you have won before you hand them to the cashier. Second thing if you are suspicious or have a bad feeling about the cashier be sure to mark your tickets before you hand them to them so you know they are your. If your are told less than you think/know it should be tell them you want to see the t... [ More ]

Comment #15

Big Joey — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 01:04:32 GMT

The lottery has access to the store's video surveillance system with an Ethernet link.

Comment #14

Lotterologist — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 22:19:17 GMT

LOL

Comment #13

Lotterologist — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 22:12:00 GMT

Uneducated. I've been to Cataula. It's a little backwoods, country town.

Comment #12

Cassie8620 — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 21:55:21 GMT

easy.

in our great country they know the Punishment does not fit the actual crime, like my daddy always would say, so why not. Sad, but true.

I am sure he is OK with being arrested/caught, as he got alot of money out of it,so now has to do time.

He can care less.

and I will follow to see how much prison easy time he get with this new wave punishment i.e.,

-tablet/email/text/msgs etc.

-heck, even some get to marry in prison, without issue.

-phone calls, some e... [ More ]

Comment #11

noise-gate — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 21:29:34 GMT

* l have to admit pstfleur, l get a lump in my throat when folks say they are not lazy or uneducated. Such blatant honesty is rare.

Comment #10

pstfleur — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 20:08:40 GMT

People are lazy or uneducated. There is no way I would go into the store and ask them to check my ticket without me knowing the actual amount I won.

Comment #9

dickblow — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:55:10 GMT

dont trust no one

Comment #8

Infraredsight — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 16:33:22 GMT

This is exactly why i scan my tickets with the lottery app before i go cash them. I know exactly the amount I'm getting back. Don't know why so many people don't do that. That's a ton of money he took from people.

Comment #7

billybucks — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 13:56:37 GMT

Ok, I understand the shorting customers of what their actual prize was. Don't scan it and tell them they won 10.00 when they actually won 100.00. But now the register is short 10.00. You would think he would take 10.00 out of his pocket and put it back. Register is square and he has a 100.00 ticket to cash somewhere else for a 90.00 profit. Why would he take the unknowingly marked bills to him out of his register. Hard to fathom that many would not be aware and he could dupe that many but it is... [ More ]

Comment #6

Tony Numbers — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 13:07:11 GMT

Hey I think I won, here check this ticket for me. Congrats you won 10. dollars! Here ya go

Comment #5

billybucks — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 04:27:51 GMT

If Bhatia cashed the tickets at another store why did he have the marked bills in his possession. I cannot figure out how the owner of store didn't have his register come up short. Help me with this. I get that he didn't scan the tickets but wouldn't the customer get the marked bills.

Comment #4

Toobadd$ — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 03:55:15 GMT

What people do for money

Comment #3

Mata Garbo — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 01:07:29 GMT

The age-old problem with these types of quick money scams is that the money comes so fast that it becomes addictive. Once you are addicted you lose all sense of reason, all you see is another winning ticket.....and then another...etc. Pretty soon you are being fingerprinted at a police station. And suddenly the whole thing seems pretty stupid.

Comment #2

sully16 — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 00:37:41 GMT

Camera? what Camera....LOL guys an idiot as well as a thief.

Comment #1

TheMeatman2005 — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 00:01:38 GMT

Big Oops!

When will they learn?

Computerized cash register are very precise. They give a report at the end of shift with a complete breakdown of every transaction and the total money.

How he didn't get caught sooner is a mystery.

Georgia gas station employee accused of stealing over $127,000 of lottery tickets in scanning scam

Lottery Post — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 23:10:59 GMT

Retailer employee fake scans lottery tickets to reap the rewards

By Kate Northrop

A gas station employee is accused of stealing over $127,000 worth of lottery tickets in a scheme he ran over time from behind the counter.

A Georgia man is behind bars after operating a fake scanning scheme that landed prizes from actual lottery winners straight into his own pocket.

On Feb. 24, gas station owner George Joseph phone police to report that he had caught one of his employees, Harish Bha... [ More ]