Differently-abled and elderly lottery sellers in the district have emerged as soft targets for conmen who are altering the ticket number to claim the prize money. So far, five lottery sellers have lost their money in the trickery, which is now being investigated by the Rural police.
The incident came to light when a Mukkom native, who lost about ₹3,500, approached the police for action. The police said the lottery seller gave the money on the spot to a gang who had agreed to purchase tickets worth ₹1,500 from him. Investigations found that the ticket given to the lottery seller was an altered one, with digits matching those of the prize-winning lottery number, they said.
As the fraudsters are claiming only small amounts as prize money, the lottery sellers are easily falling preys to the trickery. The offer to buy more tickets using a portion of the claimed prize money also lures the sellers into the trap. The police are yet to confirm whether the gangs operate only in Kozhikode district or have networks in other parts of the State.
District Lottery Officer P. Manoj said the lottery sellers were not supposed to give the prize money directly to any of the winners as there was a lot of scope for foul play. “We always insist that the lottery sellers and agents send the winners to the lottery office to claim the prize money,” he added.
Mr. Manoj said the lottery department had been conducting awareness programmes for agents to safely manage the trade and keep an eye out for suspicious deals.
Mukkom Station House Officer K.P. Abhilash said the police were looking into how the gang had tampered with the tickets.
