A recent incident involved a lottery winner who was abducted and subjected to violence by two former acquaintances in an attempt to steal his €25,000 prize money. Spanish journalist Antonio Blanco disclosed the incident on the TV show En boca de todos, safeguarding the victim’s identity by altering some names.
According to Blanco, a man from Madrid, identified as Carlos, clinched a €25,000 reward in Spain’s traditional Christmas Lottery draw last December. Subsequent to the draw on December 22, Carlos’ friends, Rudolf, Javier, and Alberto, conspired to rob him upon learning of his windfall.
The trio initially assaulted another friend of Carlos, named Leopoldo, to coerce him into revealing Carlos’ location. Subsequently, they ambushed Carlos and another friend, Alejandro, at Carlos’ residence. They restrained and threatened Carlos, coercing him to disclose his banking details at gunpoint.
After obtaining the requisite information, the culprits compelled Alejandro to transfer the money to their account and withdraw the cash. Meanwhile, they instructed Carlos to mislead his girlfriend to keep her away from the scene. However, upon her arrival, she was also threatened but managed to alert the authorities discreetly.
Carlos’ girlfriend promptly contacted the police, leading to the arrest of the offenders. Despite their efforts, the criminals failed to abscond with the prize money and are now facing incarceration for assault and torture, with potential sentences ranging from three to six years.
In a separate incident, lottery winner Andros Kyriacou, a Stanstead baggage handler, reported a similar misfortune where his EuroMillions HotPicks prize was stolen. He suspected a postal worker of diverting the cash prize to an unidentified account.
Allwyn, the operator of The National Lottery, responded to inquiries regarding Kyriacou’s case, assuring that they issued a cheque promptly upon receiving the claim. They are actively investigating to resolve the issue and ensure that all entitled players receive their due prizes without inconvenience.