Woman Throws Away Lotto Ticket In Trash But Store Owner Sees That She Won $1M And Gives It Back

Jun 01, 2021 by apost team

Playing lottery tickets is an exciting and fun activity for many people, and also comes attached with some hope of a win that can change their life. Although the chances of actually winning are very small, there are stories that show it isn't impossible. This is generally what keeps people going, and once in a lifetime, someone gets lucky enough to come across the right card or numbers that can dramatically change their life. However, sometimes the unexpected happens, and a card may, unfortunately, be lost. Thankfully, in a miraculous turn, a winning card was returned to the rightful owner. 

After a woman threw away a lottery scratch-off ticket thinking it wasn't worth anything, she got the surprise of her life when the discarded ticket was returned to her after it was clear that the card was worth a whopping $1 million dollars. Most people who would come across a lottery card that was worth this much would keep it for themselves and take the money, especially if it was the shop that sold the card. However, this family-owned store in Southwick, Massachusetts did the right thing and gave the ticket back to its rightful owner. 

Lea Rose Fiega bought the $30 Diamond Millions scratch-off ticket in March 2021 at the Lucky Stop convenience store in Southwick, which is near where she works. Fiega was a regular at the convenience store, and when the shop owner, Abhi Shah, figured out the card was a winner, he tracked Fiega down at her work to give her the ticket. Shah is certainly a very kind and honest person and showed his true character thanks to this selfless gesture. 

Fiega worked for a nearby insurance company and visited the convenience shop several times a week during her lunch break to buy scratch-offs.  "I was in a hurry, on lunch break, and just scratched it real quick, and looked at it, and it didn't look like a winner, so I handed it over to them to throw away," Fiega told ABC News. After this, the card was left behind for 10 days, and was ignored until Shah came across the card. 

"One evening, I was going through the tickets from the trash and found out that she didn’t scratch the number," Shah who is the son of the store's owners said. "I scratched the number and it was $1 million underneath the ticket."

This is certainly a shocking find, and it posed an ethical dilemma. Was it best to return the card to Fiega, who had paid for the card, or was it right to keep the card since it was discarded anyway? Even a person who always wants to do the right thing will need a moment to think about what to do. One million dollars is not a small amount, and it is certainly enough to completely change a person's life. 

About finding the card, Shah told The Washington Post, "We had mixed emotions." He added, "We didn’t sleep for two nights, but I don’t know what happened. My inner soul told me, ‘That’s not right. You know who that person is. You should give that ticket back to them.' And that’s exactly what I did."

apost.com

Shah also called up his grandmother in India to ask what he should do, and she echoed his sentiments as well. “She said show honesty and give it back,” Shah said. Since Fiega was a regular at the shop, Shah knew exactly who the card belonged to and set out to find her. 

Shah was able to track Fiega down at her work and approached her immediately. "He came to my office and said, 'My mom and dad would like to see you,'" Fiega told LA Times. "I said, 'I’m working,' and he said, 'No, you have to come over.' So I went over there, and that’s when they told me. I was in total disbelief. I cried. I hugged them," she added. 

LA Times also reported that Fiega had overcome a nearly fatal bout with COVID-19 earlier in the year, and she felt that surviving it already felt like "winning the lottery." Winning one million dollars felt like she was double fortunate. 

Fiegla was grateful for Shah's selfless act. "I mean, who does that? They’re great people. I am beyond blessed," she said. 

Fiega's win didn't mean that Shah and his family got nothing at all. The LA Times reported that the store got a $10,000 bonus from the state lottery commission for selling the winning ticket. Fiega also told the news outlet that she gave the family an additional reward for their honesty. As for the winnings and the money she is left with, she will be saving it for retirement. Thanks to Shah's selflessness and honesty, Fiega's life has been dramatically changed forever. 

Would you track down a person to give back a winning lottery ticket to them? Tell us your thoughts, and be sure to let your friends know about this story as well!