There has been an increase in fraudulent activity involving stolen credit cards and lottery
scratch-off tickets throughout the Upper Peninsula and the Northern Lower Peninsula. The
Michigan State Police (MSP) is investigating some of the complaints, including several in the
Escanaba area. MSP is aware of related cases also being investigated in Wisconsin and
Nebraska. The following information is being provided to alert businesses and help them take
steps to protect themselves.
The scam typically unfolds as follows:
• A subject or subjects posing as a customer(s) will attempt to purchase a large quantity of
lottery scratch-off tickets using a credit card.
• The subject(s) may attempt to conceal their identity by wearing face masks.
• They tell the cashier that the card swipe or chip isn’t working and ask if they can
manually enter the credit card information to complete the transaction.
• Once the cashier manually enters the card numbers and processes the sale, the subject
takes the scratch-offs and then quickly cashes in any winning tickets.
• Unfortunately, the store may not realize the credit card was stolen until it’s too late, and
the fraudulent charges go unnoticed.
How to protect your business:
• Be cautious if a customer requests to purchase large quantities of scratch-off lottery
tickets.
• Do not process card information manually.
• Limit the amount of lottery tickets that can be purchased.
• If they are paying with a card, ensure the transaction is completed in the usual way and
that the card is properly swiped.
• Double-check the card’s legitimacy if anything seems off during the transaction.
• Report any suspicious activity immediately to law enforcement.
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