Over the years, we’ve seen stories of people keeping lottery tickets others have lost. Criminal prosecutions follow when the ticket loser proves their ownership. Several high profile cases have hit the media in the last few years. What we hear less often are the number of tickets returned honestly. Often, returned tickets are not due a prize. Some have small prizes. But spare a thought for a recent case from the US of when a Good Samaritan returned lost ticket to the winner of an enormous jackpot. What’s even more curious is that the Good Samaritan is presently anonymous.
Good Samaritan Returned Lost Ticket – Winner Wishes to Reward Them
The winner, an unemployed man from New Jersey, lost the ticket at the place where he bought it. He said he was so consumed with his phone that he forgot to pick the ticket up. An unknown stranger found it and gave the ticket back to the cash desk. When Mike Weirsky returned to the store a few days later, the cashier questioned whether he owned it. Once Mike verified that he had indeed lost the ticket, only then did he find out that a Good Samaritan returned lost ticket to the cashier’s desk.
Only when he checked the numbers did Mike realise it was worth $273m. Even then he struggled to believe he’d been the recipient of such good fortune after years of struggling to find work. He was so shocked he returned to the store again to have them check the numbers. Mister Weirsky expressed his gratitude at the Good Samaritan and vowed that if they came forward, he would reward them. However he did not say how he would do so or how much. In a world where most people would probably keep the ticket and attempt to claim the prize, it’s always great to hear some good news.