News writer
When luck turns criminal, it's no longer about winning the lottery. In North Carolina, two people are facing serious charges after a scheme involving stolen lottery tickets was uncovered.
The investigation took an interesting turn after police were finally able to catch up with the suspects. Meanwhile, a similar story of deception unfolded in Spain, where an organized group targeted elderly victims with fake lottery scams. Both cases show us how far some will go to exploit the hopeful — and how important it is to stay vigilant.
Stolen lottery tickets in North Carolina
According to the Kinston Police Department, detectives have been investigating a case that involved stolen North Carolina Lottery tickets. After completing a thorough investigation, authorities obtained multiple arrest warrants for two people: Alexis Darden, 26, and Marquell Gibbs, 32.
Authorities from KPD were able to locate Gibbs, and he was arrested and placed in Lenoir County Jail under a secured bond. Authorities from the Wayne County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina were able to locate Darden, and she was placed in the Wayne County Jail under a secured bond.
Officials said Gibbs was charged with two counts of felony conspiracy and obtaining property by false pretense. Meanwhile, Darden was charged with two counts of felony conspiracy, two counts of larceny by employee, and obtaining property by false pretense.
Lottery scam in Spain
While the United States has plenty of crime related to lottery tickets, it's not just limited to this country. In Spain, the National Police dismantled an organized group that was allegedly using the “tocomocho” scam to steal money and jewelry from elderly people in Torrevieja.
This group consisted of five Spanish nationals between the ages of 25 and 78. They used emotional deception and persuasion techniques in order to gain the trust of their victims. Once they had that trust built, they would then rob them.
The investigation began after two of the elderly victims filed complaints. During the investigation, authorities seized €12,320 in cash, several fake lottery tickets, and several pieces of jewelry.
One of the victims was a 77-year-old woman who told police that she was approached outside a shop by a woman claiming to have a bag filled with money. Two accomplices joined in on the scam, persuading the victim to give them over €3,000 and her jewelry under the pretense of safeguarding the bag. The victim was later abandoned, which is when she found out that the bag was filled with newspaper clippings.
In another incident, an elderly woman was tricked after a supposed disabled woman and her accomplices tricked her into believing they needed help securing a bag of cash. This victim also gave the suspects €3,000 and her jewelry — after being driven to her bank to withdraw the money. The victim also later discovered the bag contained worthless paper.
Authorities said they were able to track down the suspects and the vehicle they were using in the scams. The suspects were arrested in Torrevieja as they appeared to be targeting new victims.
A 'tocomocho' scam — what is it?
This type of scam done in Spain is known as a “tocomocho” scam, which preys on the trust and good faith of older individuals. The suspects in these scams normally pose as someone who is unable to cash a winning lottery ticket or secure a large sum of cash.
The suspects then convince the victims to offer up some of their valuables or cash in exchange for false promises, like splitting the lottery winnings with them if they help.
Enjoy playing the North Carolina Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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