Security officials of the N.C. Education Lottery recently completed their latest undercover campaign to test security at retail locations, and almost all of the retail locations - 98 percent of those checked - correctly told undercover officers that they had a winning lottery ticket and they should collect the prize at a lottery office.

The campaign, which was conducted between March 2015 and November 2016, tested 138 retail locations in 24 counties across the state. The test involved an undercover officer presenting to a retailer a special lottery ticket that looked exactly like the other tickets in a lottery instant game with a prize exceeding $600.

Out of 138 retail locations that were checked, 135 retailers complied with lottery policies and procedures by telling the undercover officer posing as a lottery player that the ticket was a winner and the prize must be claimed at a lottery office. Two retailers told undercover officers they had a non-winning ticket and kept it. One retailer purchased the ticket from an undercover officer at a discounted price.

“Our latest Player Protection Campaign confirms again that almost all lottery retailers in North Carolina do the right thing,” said Alice Garland, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. “We wish all retailers who were checked had passed the test. Every lottery player who has the good luck to win a lottery game deserves to get the prize they won and we will continue efforts such as this to ensure that happens.”

As part of the campaign, the lottery terminated lottery sales at two of the stores that failed the test and suspended sales at a third. Lottery ticket sales have been terminated at:

- Haroon Food Mart, U.S. 301 South, Wilson. The case led to the arrest of the son of the store’s owner and the son’s wife on charges of obtaining property by false pretense.
- Birawi Food Mart, U.S. 70 West, Clayton. In the undercover check, the store owner purchased the winning lottery ticket from the undercover officer, a violation of lottery rules.

The lottery suspended lottery ticket sales for 30 days at the third store: On the Run #2, Bloomery Road, Bailey. In the undercover check, the store owner took the winning ticket from the officer, but did not tell the agent it was a winner, a violation of lottery rules. No attempt, however, was made to claim the prize so criminal charges were not filed.

The best way for lottery players to keep their winning tickets secure is to immediately sign the back of the ticket to establish ownership. They can also check their own tickets using lottery ticket checkers or self-service lottery vending machines located at stores.

“One key thing we want players to know is that by signing the back of their tickets, they can take one of the most effective steps possible to stop someone from stealing their winning ticket,” Garland said.

Undercover campaigns are one tool that lotteries use to check to make sure games are operating securely and fairly. Security measures look for retailers who could be stealing lottery prizes from players or who turn in prizes for others seeking to avoid having taxes, debts to state or local governments or child support withheld from lottery prizes. The measures include both detective strategies to identify potential fraudulent activity by retailer owners or their employees and investigative strategies to investigate suspicious activity, complaints or criminal conduct.

Lottery players also can help keep games secure by reporting any suspicious activity or concerns to the lottery’s Security Hotline at (888) 732-6235.