In brief
In a surprising turn of events, a Frenchman named Jean-David E has reached out to two thieves who used his stolen credit card to buy a jackpot-winning scratch card, proposing to share the €500,000 (£413,664) prize with them. Speaking on RTL radio, he acknowledged that without his card, the thieves would not have won, yet without their actions, he would not have purchased the ticket. Neither the thieves nor the winning ticket has been identified so far, as Française des Jeux (FDJ) has blocked the ticket pending resolution.
Jean-David reported that his credit card was stolen from his car on February 3, after which he noticed an unauthorized charge of €52.50 (£43.47) at a local corner shop called Tabac des Thermes. Upon visiting the shop, he learned from the cashier that two men had purchased various items, including scratch cards, with his card. These men claimed they had won the €500,000 jackpot but could not provide the necessary PIN for another payment attempt, raising suspicion with the cashier. Subsequent calls to local police brought attention to the incident, which could lead to the seizure of winnings.The two men, described as appearing homeless, had a 30-day window to claim their prize, which will close soon. Jean-David’s lawyer, Pierre Debuisson, suggested an amnesty, emphasizing that Jean-David harbors no desire to prosecute given the circumstances. Instead, he expressed desire for collaboration, clarifying that should the thieves reach out to his legal representative, they could secure an amicable split of the winnings.Jean-David stated he intends to use his portion of the prize to alleviate his mortgage, creating a win-win scenario if the thieves respond to his call. Both the FDJ and the police have been contacted for further comments on the case, while the deadline for claiming the prize fast approaches.
