A recent incident involved a lottery winner who was abducted and subjected to violence by two former acquaintances aiming to steal his €25,000 prize. Renowned Spanish journalist Antonio Blanco disclosed the case details on the TV show En boca de todos.
Blanco, safeguarding the victim’s anonymity by using pseudonyms, narrated that a Madrid resident had won a €25,000 reward in Spain’s traditional Christmas Lottery draw in December of the previous year.
Following the draw on December 22, the winner, identified as Carlos, discovered his fortune. However, upon learning of his luck, three friends, namely Rudolf, Javier, and Alberto, conspired to rob him.
The trio initially assaulted and coerced another friend of Carlos, named Leopoldo, to lead them to the lottery winner’s residence. Subsequently, they ambushed Carlos and his friend Alejandro outside Carlos’s house, forcing them inside, binding them, assaulting Carlos, and threatening him at gunpoint to reveal his bank account information.
After obtaining the necessary details, the perpetrators compelled Alejandro to transfer the money to their account and withdraw the cash. Meanwhile, they instructed Carlos to mislead his girlfriend to stay away from the house.
Alerted by the suspicious message, Carlos’s girlfriend visited the scene, where she was also threatened by the criminals. However, she promptly contacted the authorities upon leaving the premises, resulting in the arrest of the offenders.
The assailants not only failed to acquire the prize money but now face imprisonment for assault and torture, as reported by Spanish newspaper El Español.
In a separate incident, Andros Kyriacou, a 62-year-old Stanstead baggage handler, reported the theft of his EuroMillions HotPicks prize in October 2024. He suspected a postal worker to be involved in the fraudulent transfer of his winnings.
Responding to inquiries by the Mirror, Allwyn, the operator of The National Lottery, assured that they were investigating Mr. Kyriacou’s claim diligently. They confirmed issuing a cheque promptly upon receiving the claim, which was subsequently cashed. Allwyn pledged to collaborate with the relevant bank to resolve the issue and ensure that all entitled players receive their prizes without inconvenience.
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