Would you return a winning lotto ticket?

Reply #20

Rip Snorter — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 15:50:03 GMT

Ethical issues get fairly foggy in lost and found matters.

During the late '70s an acquaintance of mine named Mike, who was teaching school up in the Panhandle was sitting on his porch one summer evening when a kid he knew of 10 or 11 years old walked by carrying three bricks (pounds) of a green, illegal substance.

Look what I found!

Hmmm. How much will you take for them?

A quarter.

Mike forked over his quarter, figuring the kid needed to be relieved of the stuff as quietly... [ More ]

Reply #19

Rip Snorter — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 03:06:04 GMT

I mostly agree with Four4me.

I've returned a good many expensive things I've found (I've been bad about finding things for some reason). However, on a number of occasions I've found things that could not possibly be identified with an owner. Those I made no attempts to return.

I've never regretted not trying harder to return those items where no owner was likely to be found.

But I'll confess, a number of things I did return, for one reason or another I've sometimes given myself a me... [ More ]

Reply #18

Fibonacci — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 16:29:25 GMT

I would because it is the right thing to do. But also I think the owner would be only too grateful and offer a reward. Whatever the aomolunt of the reward I would sleep better spending it than the full amount that I knew was not really mine....

Having said this if I found a winning ticket with no markings, no indication that someone tried to put an identifying mark on it...I would not go looking to make someone else think they lost a ticket

Reply #17

chasingadream — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 16:24:27 GMT

in this instance I wouldn't really try to hard to find the owner...but when I have to go claim the money I would mos def let the commission know that I found the ticket......wouldn't want another incident like the guy who thought he found a winning 2nd tier ticket and it turned out to be a fake ticket placed by buddy as a practical joke. He didn't tell the commission that he found it, he told them he purchased it....huge mistake

Reply #16

ryanm — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 16:05:42 GMT

I would return the ticket if it was signed or if I saw it fall out of someone's pocket. However, if I found the ticket just lying around and it was not signed, I would cash it in for myself. If the purchaser of the ticket did not sign the back of the ticket, it is his or her own fault if he or she loses the ticket and it becomes a winner.

Reply #15

RJOh — Wed, 31 May 2006 23:53:05 GMT

If it's a winning ticket that signed then it's a no brainer, return it to the person that signed it. If it isn't signed, I would wait to hear if any person was prepared to prove they lost it and depending on the proof and its value, I would return it or negotiate its return. Failing to find the real owner I would just consider myself the new lucky owner, cash it and move on with my life.

Reply #14

delS — Wed, 31 May 2006 13:59:27 GMT

I voted I'm not sure! It all depends on circumstances. The details here are sketchy at best. I am a very suspicious person by nature. Turning a winning ticket over to someone, would depend on how much info about the ticket the posting reveals. Turning it over to the police, I'm not sure. Turning it over to lottery officials, I'm not sure.

On any given Sunday I might do x, y, or z! Tempt me and find out, is the best answer I can give.

Reply #13

Just6ntlc — Wed, 31 May 2006 07:41:06 GMT

It depends how much the ticket is worth is my vote. If I win a very small amount (examples: $5, $11, etc), I would have cashed it out and keep it. If the jackpot was won, I would say yes, but I rather get some money for help finding the ticket and remind that person.

Reply #12

ScorpionPrince — Wed, 31 May 2006 07:06:17 GMT

If i had a winning ticket I would guard it with my life there's no way in hell I would lose it. If I found it I would cash it in and donate a portion to charity because there's a reason it was losed and it found its true original owner.

Reply #11

justxploring — Wed, 31 May 2006 04:44:57 GMT

Great story, but like others have written, it's not the same as just finding a ticket. If I found a ticket on the floor of 7-11 that was signed, I would probably turn it in, at least I hope I would. But anyone can say those are my numbers. I suppose if I claimed a winning ticket and someone had reported it missing to the Lottery Headquarters it would be different, providing he had positive proof he was the buyer. It's a tough call.

Only once has this happened to me (must have been a bad d... [ More ]

Reply #10

Coin Toss — Wed, 31 May 2006 01:57:21 GMT

I'm with Four4Me too....if there was no doubt the person who lost it would get it, then absolutely yes.

But something like a flyer in the store or an ad in the paper that said:

Found, winning lottery ticket, call 555-5555, would create utter chaos.

As far as tirning it into the police, yikes- years ago a guy and hos son were walking down the street in Jersey City and saw a car in a driveway with the trunk opened. The guy looked inside and found a travel bag with $50,000 cash in it a... [ More ]

Reply #9

TheGameGrl — Wed, 31 May 2006 00:30:35 GMT

I agree with Four4me- The circumstances deem the resulting action. Lets get serious here...The case sited is not the situation posed in the questionaire (poll). Since the poll was a blanket statement , I err to the side of humanness and keep the ticket . So I say No merely because A: it would never happen to me so its a fantasy question and B: If I reap what I sow then I consider it a blessing that a ticket came my way to help me thru my financial obligations :) Gosh knows I've given more then m... [ More ]

Reply #8

pacattack05 — Tue, 30 May 2006 22:52:33 GMT

I voted no, based on everything you said. You took the words right out of my mouth.

Why couldn't it be the case that it wasn't their time to win?.....LOL

Reply #7

JimmySand9 — Tue, 30 May 2006 22:50:39 GMT

One word : NO

Reply #6

pumpi76 — Tue, 30 May 2006 21:44:23 GMT

I would return a luggage with money, but not a lottery ticket. There was a case that came on the newspapers of a old man who won 33 million dollars in the lottery, pay for the ticket but forgot it. I think the guy that works at the place noticed it, and hoped for the old man to come back again soon. He return the winning ticket to the man, but didn't get anything as reward. That wouldn't had happened to me.

Keno is el diablo cazador de hombres : you can't see it..... [ More ]

Reply #5

four4me — Tue, 30 May 2006 19:36:33 GMT

This is kinda complicated there are many circumstances where this might not be such a good idea to give it back. Mainly how would you know who lost it.

if i saw someone drop it yes I'd give it back. If it were signed I'd try and find the signer.

if its laying on the ground inside or out side the store i might go to the manager and say i found a ticket. And try and work something out with the manager to find the person. If someone comes in and says they lost said ticket and they know the nu... [ More ]

Reply #4

BobP — Tue, 30 May 2006 19:34:51 GMT

If you turned a found million dollar lotto ticket into police, would you trust them to give it back to you if no one claimed it? BobP

Reply #3

bellyache — Tue, 30 May 2006 19:01:42 GMT

I think it would be a different situation if you found an unsigned ticket and you couldn't track the person down.

Reply #2

LottoChica23 — Tue, 30 May 2006 18:54:59 GMT

When I found it, I found the owner. Bearer instrument...

But seriously, I woud return it. There is no doubt that, you reap what you sow.

Reply #1

Clairvoyance — Tue, 30 May 2006 18:27:16 GMT

I did not even hesitate to click yes! I am just too honest of a person and feel if it's not mine and I did not win square and fair then I should not keep it! I could not live with my self if I kept it!

So yes I would do the very same thing

Would you return a winning lotto ticket?

bellyache — Tue, 30 May 2006 18:23:41 GMT

A vet finds a winning lottery ticket and returns it to the woman who won it. Would you or could you do the same thing