Thieves Buy $523K Lottery Ticket with Stolen Card—Victim Wants a Share of Jackpot!- wna24

Paris: Two Thieves in Toulouse, France used a stolen credit card to buy a €500,000 ($523,000) winning scratch-off lottery ticket but disappeared before cashing it in, becoming France’s most famous fugitives.

The twist comes in, The man whose card was stolen, identified in police documents as Jean-David E., is offering to split the cash with the lucky winners and he wants his wallet back, too.

Jean-David, instead of seeking justice, is inviting the thieves to come forward—not for punishment, but to share the fortune.

The thieves face the risk of arrest, while as of Saturday, La Française des Jeux (FDJ) confirmed no one had come forward to cash out the ticket.

Speaking to The Associated Press, Jean-David’s lawyer, Pierre Debuisson, said, ″It’s an incredible story, but it’s all true,″ 

Earlier this month, Jean-David realized his backpack, containing bank cards and documents, was stolen from his car in Toulouse. After requesting his bank to block the card, he discovered it had already been used in a local store.

In France, lottery winners have just 30 days to claim their prize before the ticket becomes worthless. The clock is ticking for the thieves who have yet to cash in the €500,000 ($523,000) ticket they bought with a stolen card.

The big question remains—will the thieves accept Jean-David’s offer to share the fortune, or will they disappear into the streets of Toulouse, letting this life-changing win slip away?