Suspicious Lottery Ticket Purchases

Salina Police and Kansas Lottery officials are investigating a slew of suspicious incidents – tied to a group of three males in a leased car from Ohio.

Police Captain Mike Miller explains that in at least three locations, the men have purchased lottery scratch tickets with a financial card in Salina, Abilene and Lindsborg.

Police say a clerk at Rod’s #2 Convenience Store on North 9th noticed the trio bought $1,120 of lottery tickets on a credit card. The next attempt to buy $900 worth of scratch tickets on the card was declined. The group then bought some cigars and left.

The clerk contacted the lottery office, who put a hold on the tickets. When one of the men showed up at Salina’s Walmart to cash in – the tickets could not be redeemed and he left.

Police have video of the individuals and know they are traveling in a white, Hyundai Tucson. Captain Miller tells KSAL News they want stores to be aware of a potential scam. The behavior is suspicious but they have no proof of a crime being committed like the use of a stolen or fraudulent credit card, and no victim has yet been identified.