Lottery players and store owners have been warned about a new scam that has cost businesses thousands of dollars in Michigan. In Traverse City alone, one store lost $10,000 after scammers used stolen credit cards to buy large amounts of lottery tickets.
Detective Will Bowen of Petoskey Public Safety told Up North Live the scam has been reported across the state—from Houghton in the Upper Peninsula down to south of Cadillac. He said the suspects appear to come from the Battle Creek area.
The scam usually involves one or two people entering convenience stores and trying to buy many lottery tickets. When their credit cards fail, they offer to read the card numbers off their phones. After the suspects leave, the store finds out the cards were stolen, and they lose both the cash and the lottery tickets.
Bowen explained that scammers buy thousands of dollars worth of tickets in multiple transactions. They use the Michigan Lottery app to check the tickets, then quickly cash them out before the lottery bureau can stop them.
He has shared information about the scam with state troopers and other agencies. A state fraud investigator is working to build a case for the attorney general’s office. Bowen believes the scam involves a larger ring, not just a few individuals.
He warned gas station and small store workers in rural areas to be cautious when customers try to buy thousands of dollars in lottery tickets, especially if their credit cards have problems. Workers should call 911 immediately if they suspect a scam and try to remember details about the suspects.
Meanwhile, Powerball players in Illinois are urged to check their tickets. A winning ticket purchased last year on March 23 at Hucks gas station in Centralia remains unclaimed. According to lottery rules, the winner has only weeks left to claim the prize before it goes back to the state.
Officials remind winners to make an appointment before visiting a claim center and to bring photo ID, social security card, or tax returns. The winning ticket should also be signed on the back before submitting the claim.
