In Europe, a peculiar situation caught attention: criminals used a stolen card to buy lottery tickets and won more than R$3 million in prizes. Now, the victim wants to share the amount with the thieves.
The case began on February 3, in Toulouse, France. Jean-David E., 40, left a backpack in the car. Hours later, thieves took the backpack, as well as clothes and cards. Soon after, they used the Frenchman’s credit card to make purchases.
What happened?
Upon receiving transaction alerts, David asked the bank to cancel the card. Furthermore, he discovered that around 50 euros (approximately R$290) were spent on tobacco and lottery tickets. The purchases took place in a store called Tabac des Thermes.
According to David’s lawyer, Pierre Debuisson, the client went to the location and confirmed the expenses. In an interview with the British portal BBC, Debuisson stated: “My client went to the place and found the purchases. According to the employee, the men appear to be homeless.”
A few days later, they drew the numbers of the tickets purchased with the stolen card. The thieves won a prize of more than R$3 million. Now, the challenge is to find those responsible for the theft.
Thieves can be arrested when presenting the winning ticket. However, if they do not claim the prize, they will lose it. Furthermore, the deadline to withdraw the money is 30 days.
Possible solution to redeem the lottery prize
Jean-David E. proposes an amicable solution. In an interview with the BBC, he said: “Unless they contact my lawyer, the ticket is worthless. So why not resolve this amicably by splitting the prize?”
The British newspaper tried to contact the French Gaming Confederation (FDJ) and the local police. So far, there has been no response.
Meanwhile, the case remains unresolved. The situation involves legal and moral issues, in addition to highlighting the unpredictability of events.