A couple years ago I was walking, and walked past one of those big $20 tickets laying on the ground (someone threw it out of a car). I stopped turned around, grabbed it, and it was a winner. The thing was the original scratcher did not remove the prize area (probably drunk not realizing the matching numbers).
The ticket seen a rain so when I scratched it the prize info would rub out too (also the redemption bar code which is more important). I went to a retailer for damaged ticket paper work to fill out. I do not believe in karma, but seeing the top prize was $2 million I gave the ticket with the paperwork to my best friend. I told him we'll split the money whatever it is. He's the only person I would ever trust to do this with plus he's worth splitting with (a true friend).
About a week goes by, and the prize is what I was expecting that being the price of the ticket ($20). I told my friend "Take the Mrs out to McDonalds for fine dining... LOL!". Some people I told the story to while it was going down was thinking the top prize because they hear stories similar to this. But the odds are it was going to be the base prize. I was also thinking a little conspiracy like to myself that it would be tempting to a Lotto employee receiving a top prize ticket in this scenario. But that would be my luck (I do not believe in luck either other than a saying for beating the odds) not walking by that ticket before it rained.
I keep an eye out for tickets now (I heard from someone that somebody they knew won $700 from a discarded ticket), but do not go out of my way like digging in the garbage (maybe I will now?).
One tip is that if the revealing redemption code has been scratched off, then chances are it was checked, or redeemed already.
Good luck, or rather may the beating of the odds be in your favor.
