Something similar happened in Texas not too long ago. Customer knew he had a winning ticket, but he didn’t know how much he had won. Handed the ticket to the clerk, was told he won a couple of bucks, and the customer took the cash and left. Clerk takes the big winning ticket, signs it, goes to Austin and collects several million. Store clerk then leaves the country.
Well, during this time, the customer becomes suspicious. Checks his numbers on line, and realizes that he had the big winning ticket. Gets a lawyer and they sue the Texas lottery. They claim the state is responsible because the store clerks are defacto representatives of the state lottery.
I don’t recall how it all turned out. I know the courts froze the store clerk’s bank account that still had some of the lottery winnings. But the customer was still going after the state for the rest of the winnings.
Lesson to those that play the lottery...NEVER, EVER, hand an un-signed lottery ticket to anybody...especially a store clerk. Not all are crooks, but the temptation is just too great, even if the ticket is only worth 50 bucks.
True story: I worked with this lady who had a dream that she had won the lottery, but I snatched the ticket away from her and cashed it. She didn’t speak to me for months...lol. Maybe she was upset because I lol’ed then, too.