Receiving a prize of 500,000 euros can completely change a person's life. This is what happened to a woman in Naples, Italy. However, the story had a lot of drama and tension before it had a happy ending. That's because the owner of the tobacco shop that sells scratch cards stole his prize and was found only days later by the police. Know the story of the woman who suffered the theft of award-winning scratchcard.
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Theft of the scratch card with the highest prize
The main scratch card prize is €500,000. The resident of the city of Naples, Italy, did not imagine that when buying two scratch cards in a tobacco shop, she would receive the highest prize in one of them. When showing it to the seller, the husband of the store owner, he took the ticket and fled on his motorbike and fled with the winning ticket. From there, a long saga began to lock the prize and locate the thief and fugitive from the police.
How was the search for the offender carried out?
The Carabinieri, Italy's police force, initiated search and seizure requests for the ticket and the fugitive. In order for the value to be frozen, the Italian Federal Revenue Service, responsible for administering scratchcards in the country, blocked the withdrawal of the value. In addition, the entire block of scratch cards sold at the establishment was also blocked.
How was he located?
Despite the drama, they managed to locate the offender with relative ease. He was undercover, but the police found him at Rome's Fiumicino Airport after trying to board a flight to the Canary Islands, specifically Fuerteventura. The man, who was 57 years old, was captured by the police and the woman managed to withdraw her prize.
How do scratchcards work?
Scratchcards are types of tickets that may or may not be awarded. Generally, the Federal Revenue of the country is responsible for the sale and disclosure, in addition to the prize. The number of winners and losers is pre-established by lots. To make sure you win, just buy a whole lot. However, this is not always profitable, after all not all prizes have great value.