A Brazilian took his big luck in Italy: in a 20-day period, the tile layer bought two winning scratch cards. Together, they totaled three million euros – around R$20 million.
Incredible coincidence or a well-planned scam? For the police Mantova, this is an alleged crime.
“The chances of the same person winning such a large double prize in such a short time are close to zero,” said prosecutor Alberto Sergi, to Corriere del Veneto.
Between February 4th and 24th of that year, the Brazilian identified as Ricardo TG bought a scratch card at a tobacconist Modena which earned him 1 million euros, and another in Peschiera del Garda, with a prize of 2 million euros.
The strange coincidence was immediately reported by the Bank of Italy's financial intelligence unit to the Guardia di Finanza, the country's financial police.
And now all the value, two million and 400 thousand euros liquids, after taxes, was seized under suspicion of money laundering. The Brazilian tried to send 800 thousand euros to Brazil.
For prosecutor Sergi, the double “stroke of luck” would be precisely explained by the tip of one or more unfaithful Lottomatica employees, the dealership that distributes the scratch cards.
According to investigators, the Brazilian may have benefited from a data breach. The Rome Public Prosecutor's Office is also involved in the case.
The Brazilian, who arrived in Italy in 2018 with his wife and daughter, told the police that he is innocent and that winning all this money on scratch cards “it was pure luck".
