Love, Lies, Lotto: Man's ₹30 crore lottery jackpot ends in a heist and heartbreak
A Canadian man won ₹ 30 crore (CA $5 million) in a lottery jackpot and had a lover to share the fortune with. All seemed well until what he thought of as a dream life turned into his worst nightmare, leaving him penniless and with an aching heart.
According to a CTV News report, Lawrence Campbell, a resident of Winnipeg, purchased the winning ticket of the 2024 lottery but couldn't claim the prize himself because he lacked valid ID proof.
However, on a lottery official's advice, Lawrence decided to let his girlfriend, Krystal Ann McKay, whom he 'trusted fully', collect the prize from Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) on his behalf. He also asked her to deposit the winnings in her name since he didn't have a bank account either.
He told the news outlet that he had a 'loyal, committed and promising romantic partnership' with Krystal for over a year and a half and that they were living together at the time.
All seemed fine. They posed for pictures and videos with an oversized cheque, and Lawrence publicly declared that the lottery win was Krystal's birthday gift.
Krystal 'disappeared' days after the amount was deposited into her account and cut off all contact. But the blow was multiplied when he eventually found her 'in bed with another guy'.
'She ghosted him, refused to take his calls or answer his messages, she blocked him on her social media accounts, and even took out a protection order,' Lawrence Campbell's lawyer told CTV News.
Krystal has denied all allegations.
Lawrence Campbell has filed a lawsuit in Manitoba's Court of King's Bench, naming the WCLC and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries. He has accused the agencies of giving poor advice and failing to warn him about the risks of having someone else claim a lottery prize on his behalf.
'This case is about systemic karma versus the system itself,' said Lawrence's lawyer. 'A situation created, or at least enabled, by the state-owned lottery corporations administering claims in Manitoba.'
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