Source: Point FDJ on Google Maps & alexandre17 on Canva, both for illustration purposes only.
A pair of thieves in Paris, France struck unlikely gold when they bought a winning lottery ticket with a stolen bank card.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the card belonged to a man named Jean-David, who became a victim of theft earlier in February. His backpack, with his bank card inside, was stolen.
When Jean-David requested his bank block the card, he was informed that it had already been used in a shop.
At the shop, the vendor told him that two allegedly homeless men used his card to buy cigarettes and scratch-off lottery tickets.
Source: Point FDJ on Google Maps, for illustration purposes only
The men found that they hit the lottery jackpot worth 500,000 Euros (S$700,000) on one of the tickets.
According to the vendor, they got so excited that they just left without taking their belongings.
Despite the win, the state lottery operator, FDJ, confirmed that nobody had submitted the ticket for the reward. The thieves’ whereabouts are still unknown.
Source: Alamine Hadrati on Google Maps
If the men approach the FDJ, they would likely face arrest, with the winnings confiscated and given to no one.
On 20 Feb, Jean-David’s lawyer made a public statement offering amnesty to the criminals.
“My client was very happy to have his credit card stolen in these circumstances and so is not looking to prosecute.”
Jean-David thus offered to withdraw the police report and even split the earnings 50/50 if they came forward.
“Without my client’s money, they wouldn’t have won; without them, my client wouldn’t have won. It’s only logical to share it.” His lawyer explained.
Source: alexandre17 on Canva, for illustration purposes only
He noted that the thieves could not use the reward money without contacting him anyway.
Jean-David called it an opportunity for them to build a new life for themselves. He also requested they return his wallet.
Time is quickly running out for Jean-David and the thieves.
Scratch card winners only have 30 days from the date of purchase to claim their winnings before they expire.
His lawyer acknowledged that prosecutors may still seize the money as illegal gains but did not waver from the offer.
The incident also left netizens amused, with one likening the thieves to unpaid financial investors.
Source: Reddit
Also read: Woman finds jackpot-winning 4D ticket in Loyang temple, hands it over to police
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Featured image adapted from Point FDJ on Google Maps and alexandre17 on Canva, both for illustration purposes only.