Fake ‘Catch the Ace’ tickets reportedly being sold in Hagersville
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Organizers of the ‘Catch the Ace’ lottery in Hagersville are warning the public about fake tickets as the jackpot climbs closer to $2 million.
Organizers of the ‘Catch the Ace’ lottery in Hagersville are warning the public about fake tickets being sold in the community.
The wildly popular game has gone 44 weeks without a winner and the grand prize is now an estimated $1.7 million.
“It’s crazy,” said committee vice-chair Tanya Ribbink. “When we started the first night the jackpot was maybe $100. There’s people buying from Alberta and Manitoba. We’ve heard of people crossing the border.”
‘Catch the Ace’ is a progressive raffle where the players purchase tickets to guess which envelope contains the ace of spades. Until it’s found, money keeps going into the pot.
Tickets can only be purchased in-person on Thursdays at the Hagersville legion so the community has seen long lineups and measures have been implemented to ensure community safety.
As anticipation grows, officials are also on the lookout for fraudsters trying to sell fake tickets to the public.
“A lady had reached out to me through Facebook, asking if the tickets she bought at he local grocery store parking lot were legit or not,” said Ribbink. “She bought 20 dollars worth of tickets. She did say there was a lineup of people that were buying tickets.”
