A man from Oklahoma was almost cheated out of a $500 prize from a winning scratch card after a series of blunders by a petrol station cashier on Christmas Day.
Christmas Day disappointment turns to confusion
Jeff Buckmaster visited a Love's gas station in Shawnee on 25 December, hoping to cash in his lucky ticket and secure a festive windfall. His excitement was short-lived when the woman working the till scanned the card and declared it was not a winner.
Buckmaster returned to his truck, disappointed and puzzled. After double-checking the numbers himself, he went back into the shop and showed the ticket to the employee again, insisting the numbers were correct.
A second scan reveals the truth, but sparks new problems
"She just grabbed it again and scanned it again, and this time the machine said you're a winner," Buckmaster told local broadcaster KFOR. The celebration was again cut short when the cashier stated the store could not pay out such a large sum. She handed him a small ticket and instructed him to take it to a larger store to claim his money.
However, when Buckmaster attempted to do just that, an employee at the second location delivered shocking news: the ticket had already been cashed.
Confrontation leads to resolution and official investigation
Buckmaster immediately returned to the original Love's station, walked in, and directly told the cashier, "You owe me $500." This direct approach finally secured him his rightful winnings.
The Oklahoma Lottery Commission launched an investigation into the incident. They concluded that human error, not fraud, was to blame. Officials determined the clerk made two mistakes: first by mis-scanning the ticket, and second by accidentally marking it as cashed when Buckmaster returned the first time.
"I’m glad I went back to the store and just did it right then because I knew I’d lose it if I didn’t go back," Buckmaster reflected.
Official advice for lottery players
In light of the event, the lottery commission issued clear guidance for winners:
- Always sign the back of a winning ticket immediately to establish ownership.
- If you encounter any problems when trying to claim a prize, contact the lottery commission office directly.
- You can always verify if a ticket is a winner by visiting the official commission website.
The commission also stated it plans to conduct additional training at the specific Love's gas station where the mix-up occurred.
Love's provided a statement to KFOR, saying: "Love’s is aware of the claim in Shawnee. Once we were notified, we immediately contacted the customer to confirm payment and reviewed the situation. Our team members and customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we remain committed to handling every situation with the highest level of integrity."
