Image Credit: ADOBE STOCK
July 20, 2018 - 9:00 PM
KAMLOOPS - Stealing lottery tickets may not be as genius of an idea as you might think.
Earlier this week, Crime Stoppers in Kamloops asked for the public's help in identifying a man who allegedly went into a convenience store asking for cigarettes. While the cashier's back was turned, he allegedly grabbed a sleeve of scratch and win lottery tickets before running out of the store, into a four-door hatchback Mazda driven by someone else.
So what happens when someone steals lottery tickets?
Well, if they do get any winning ones, they likely won't be able to cash them in. B.C. Lottery Corporation says in an email statement to iNFOnews.ca that it has tracking mechanisms in place for lottery products, including scratch and win tickets.
"In situations where theft occurs, BCLC works with retailers and law enforcement to provide security consultation and investigation assistance when required," the statement says.
But it's not clear what those tracking mechanisms are. The lotteries corporation says to protect the integrity of any potential investigation, it can't disclose specific details of the process.
The province's lottery corporation does say it uses communications to alert its retail network to security issues and other operational matters, and delivers training for retailers that includes security procedures.
This isn't the first time there's been a theft of several scratch tickets in the Southern Interior.
Last year, a Vernon man was arrested after stealing hundreds of lottery tickets throughout the Vernon area. Last February, a Saskatchewan man was sentenced in Kamloops to four years in prison, in part due to serial thefts of lottery tickets.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Ashley Legassic or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2018