Fraud Friday: 13,000 lottery “wins”


A man who has “won” the Massachusetts lottery in excess of 13,000 times has pleaded guilty to charges of tax fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and filing false tax returns. The man and family members operated a lottery ticket cashing scheme that brought in $21 million between 2011 and 2019. In Massachusetts, money owed in federal taxes or child support can be deducted from lottery wins over $600. To avoid this deduction, winners often use underground ticket cashing businesses, which take a cut of the winnings. The family members reported fraudulent gambling losses and understated their income, resulting in large refunds. 

(www.casino.org/news/mass-lottery-frequent-winner-pleads-guilty-to-tax-fraud-conspiracy/)

CPAs, get four hours of fraud CPE with our Fraud Essentials for CPAs WebinarClick here for more information.