A man in Toulouse, France, is offering to share lottery winnings with the thieves who stole his credit card—if they come forward. Jean-David E. had his backpack stolen earlier this month, and the thieves used his card to buy a scratch ticket that turned out to be worth €500,000 ($523,000).
Local reports suggest that two homeless men purchased the ticket, but they have not yet claimed the prize. The victim’s lawyer, Pierre Debuisson, stated, “It’s an incredible story, but it’s all true… You risk nothing. We will share with you. And you would be able to change your lives.”
The French lottery operator, La Française des Jeux, has frozen the winnings while police investigate. Jean-David has filed a complaint but says he will drop it if the thieves agree to a fair split. He argues, “Without my client’s money, they wouldn’t have won. Without them, my client wouldn’t have won. It’s only logical to share it.”
Time is running out, as the lottery company allows only 30 days from the purchase date to claim the prize. However, the thieves face a dilemma—if they come forward, they could risk arrest, but if they don’t, the winnings could be lost forever.
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