A French man recently had his wallet stolen, with the thief allegedly using his credit cards to purchase scratch lottery tickets and winning a jackpot prize of 500,000 euros (approximately 523,000 dollars). The man expressed his desire to split the prize with the thief, seeing it as beneficial for both parties.
According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Jean-David, a resident of Toulouse in France, discovered on February 3 that his backpack, containing his wallet, was stolen from his car while parked in a parking lot.
After notifying the bank to disable his credit cards, he found out that the thief had already made a transaction of 52 euros (about 54.4 dollars) using the contactless payment feature at a nearby store. He then visited the store to see if the staff noticed anything suspicious or if any of his belongings were left behind there.
Jean-David’s lawyer, Pierre Debuisson, told the BBC, “My client talked to the store clerk, who discovered that two men, suspected to be homeless, used his credit card to buy cigarettes and several scratch lottery tickets.”
The two men informed the store clerk that one of the lottery tickets they purchased had won a jackpot prize of 500,000 euros. They planned to go to the company issuing the tickets to claim the prize.
Jean-David has reported the incident to the police and informed the lottery company. He mentioned that the police might seize the prize money if they try to claim it.
Currently, the prize money has been frozen by the lottery company. As per regulations, lottery winners must claim their prizes within 30 days of purchase, and this deadline is approaching soon.
Jean-David is now willing to negotiate a deal to split the prize money with the thieves. He stated, “Without me, they wouldn’t have won, but without them, I wouldn’t have bought the ticket. I want to share the winnings with them.”
Debuisson said, “My client is pleased that his credit card was stolen under these circumstances, so he does not intend to press charges. This is a miraculous opportunity for these two individuals to start a new life for themselves.”
Jean-David added, “I am prepared to reach an agreement regarding this money.” He plans to use the money to pay off his mortgage.
According to a report by the Associated Press, Debuisson issued a national appeal on February 20, requesting the thieves to contact his office to reach an agreement.
Debuisson stated, “You have no risks… We will share with you, and you will be able to change your lives.”
He warned that the scratch lottery tickets would eventually expire. “Time is not on our side.”