Forget whatever clever system you use to pick your lottery numbers. Forget your birthday, your address and your girlfriend’s measurements, because a lottery millionaire in China found the perfect strategy: he won nearly $4 million simply by waiting for the winning numbers and then immediately buying those tickets.
The dude, a lottery ticket seller himself, identified a system flaw allowing folks to buy tickets for up to five minutes after the winning numbers were announced. So that’s what he did, and then he had friends and neighbors cash them in.
I should warn you, the scheme worked great until suddenly it didn’t, and you shouldn’t count on seeing good old Zhao Liqun around the old neighborhood anytime soon. Here is his story:
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A Chinese toilet attendant sells lottery tickets outside two mobile toilets in Beijing in a 2000 file photo. REUTERS/Andrew Wong
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12 comments so far
Pfft! I win the lottery about 4 times a day. UK National Lottey, Microsoft/Shell Oil Lottery, Apple/Microsoft Cooperation Lottery….
- Posted by Lady WeaselOk, Bob. Where do I start?
- Posted by KMan, I have to pee! Wait a minute. What’s this? Lottery tickets? My bladder is going to explode. Oh, but it’s the LOTTERY! I can’t hold this any longer! Quick! I need a lottery ticket!……Nevermind. You don’t have to hurry. Do you have any paper towels?
- Posted by KAnd if you happen to run out of toilet paper…well, you’d better hope that lottery ticket was a loser…
- Posted by K“I’m sorry, Sir. You must purchase the lottery ticket BEFORE going into the toilet. I insist, Sir…unless you have some hand sanitizer.”
- Posted by KMan…can you say SCAM?
- Posted by meganThats crazy! Pretty messed up system though, if they’re allowing people to buy tickets AFTER the numbers have been announced. lol
- Posted by MichaelBelieve what you will about the Asian math genius stereotype. I don’t think they have a timekeeping genius stereotype anywhere in their future (or the next five minutes - Doh!).
- Posted by Shawn HendricksWhat the article doesn’t mention is that the guys that originally programmed the ticketing software are right this moment living it up with a dozen lingerie models at an undisclosed location somewhere in the Seychelles.
- Posted by Shawn HendricksI don’t even have to buy lottery tickets!
I was just informed that I have won the national sweepstakes of Mugambo and as soon as I deposit this cashier’s check …
- Posted by John C AbellThis can only mean that The Sting is finally being shown in China.
- Posted by John C AbellYeah, I thought exactly the same thing, John. Picture a Chinese Ray Walston, and a bunch of Chinese painters.
- Posted by Robert Basler