Do You Scratch Off Everything On A Lottery Ticket
There's something sneaky I want to make sure you guys areaware of.
Do You Scratch Off Everything On A Lottery Ticket 2020
In the industry it's called 'pinning', and this scratch off scam can mean you missout on a big winner without ever knowing about it.
There's a weak point in the way scratch-off tickets are claimed.You have to scratch a panel to reveal a barcode. It's that barcodethat has to be scanned to tell if the ticket is a winner or not.
This is a different barcode to the one you can see before youstart scratching anything. It's hidden and has to be scratched tobe seen. For a good reason - because this is the security measureto stop a dodgy assistant or store owner from checking all thetickets and pulling out the winning ones!
In a scratch-off lottery game, you need to scratch the printed area to reveal whether you have won the game or not. You can also try playing international scratch-off lottery games online for convenience. Portals like Lottoland offer the same feel of scratching off the card by incorporating the highest technology. If the winning scratch-off ticket has already been redeemed, the lottery knows that the big prize is gone, but they still sell tickets to that game because smaller prizes are still available. Nothing prevents the lottery from legally selling those tickets, even if it involves advertising a prize that's no longer available.
Sounds good so far... except...
Well, some 'smart cookie' figured out you don't need to see muchof a barcode to be able to scan it!
STOP: Hold up. Make sure you get all of my lottery scratch off tips. They could be the difference between winning big and forever losing.
Barcodes are a series of vertical lines. But it's the thickness of thelines and the thickness of the spaces between them that 'decode'into a serial number. The only reason barcodes are as tall as theyare is to make them a big and easy target for scanner machines.
Here's what the dodgy assistants figure out.
Do You Scratch Off Everything On A Lottery Ticket
If you take a ruler and a pin (hence the name 'pinning'), you canremove a thin line of the scratch material. Just enough so thatwith careful aim you can scan the ticket to see if it's a winner.While still leaving the ticket looking unused!
They then keep the winners (they just buy them - no rule againstthat bit). But then sell you the losers..!
YES - lottery scratch off scams are a criminal offence. And yes, the lottery companies are awareof it. Anyone caught doing this will end up in serious trouble.
But I want you to know about it so you don't caught out!
So there are 2 danger signs to be very aware of:-
Do You Scratch Off The Whole Lottery Ticket
- Never buy a 'loose' ticket that just appears from under thecounter. Watch the assistant detach your ticket fresh from theroll in front of you.
- Inspect each ticket you buy closely BEFORE you walk away.Make sure there is no damage at all to the scratch surface. Ifthere is, ask for a replacement ticket.
This is not the only lottery ticket scam out there. So I'd also recommend you always report anything suspicious thathappens when buying tickets or claiming winnings. Dishonestsellers are rare but they do exist.
How To Win The Lottery With Scratch Offs
TIP: Know how to figure out what are the best scratchers? All tickets are not the same. It is possible to figure out which are the best to play. Don't just buy randomly because that really hurts your chances.
Lottery companies take lottery scratch card scams VERY seriously. Phone them andreport the store to the security department. They will investigateand take major action if they find anything dodgy going on.
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