Ontario man charged in GTA lottery scratch ticket fraud

An Ontario man is facing charges for his alleged involvement in lottery scratch ticket frauds spanning the GTA.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said an investigation commenced in October 2023 after multiple GTA residents claimed their lottery scratch tickets had already been scratched.

An OPP spokesperson said authorities determined that lottery tickets at several locations were tampered with and placed back into ticket displays without the store clerk’s knowledge.

Police said 44-year-old Stephen Michael Dea of Pickering was arrested on Dec. 6. He’s been charged with four counts of fraud under $5,000 and four counts of theft under $5,000.

The accused was not an employee at any retail outlet selling lottery scratch tickets.

The man was released from police custody and is expected to appear in court on Feb. 15, 2024.

The OPP has charged a Pickering resident in connection with lottery scratch ticket fraud. In October, people across the GTA reported their scratch tickets had already been scratched. The accused was not an employee at any retail outlet selling tickets. ^bd pic.twitter.com/KJOLwEHzpF

— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) December 11, 2023