Honest man looking for owner of winning 4D ticket

Many Singaporeans dream of striking the lottery and receiving a sudden windfall, but this honest man does not want a single cent from a winning 4D ticket he mistakenly took.

The 63-year-old businessman, known only as Yang, told Shin Min Daily News that he had been placing his bets at a Singapore Pools outlet in Redhill on Saturday (Oct 5).

As he was leaving, Yang kept his tickets in his wallet without a second glance, only realising after the fact that one ticket wasn't his.

The ticket was for a 4D number that Yang had no recollection of betting on and its timestamp showed that it had been bought before he was at the outlet.

[[nid:435456]]

To his surprise, the number on the ticket, 4069, was one of the starter prizes in Saturday's draw.

This meant that the winning ticket was worth about $5,000.

In an effort to return the ticket, Yang visited Singapore Pools' main branch on Oct 7 but was told by the staff to hand it over to the police.

"I was trying to be a good person, but it's so troublesome. That's why I'm trying to spread the word on the news. Hopefully, the ticket will be returned to its rightful owner," Yang said in Mandarin.

According to the Singapore Pools website, the organisation is not responsible for ascertaining the ownership of lottery tickets. Prizes will be paid out to whoever presents a valid winning ticket within the claim period.

But this does not mean 'finders keepers'.

Anyone who tries to claim a prize with a ticket that is not theirs can get in trouble with the law for dishonest misappropriation of property if the original owner pursues the matter.

Offenders can be jailed for up to two years or fined, or both.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com