Lottery Hoax
I recently read that a chap called Fergus Frater from Littlehampton, West Sussex, had gone into hiding after telling his family that he had won the £35.4 million EuroMillions jackpot. Of course, as I said last week, that prize was actually won by Angela Kelly, so Fergus was either grossly mistaken or he knew all along that he hadn't won and chose to hoax the people around him. Whatever the case, Fergus was convincing. So convincing that his local newspaper featured his win on the front page.
Lottery hoaxes aren't a new concept, and they are rarely malicious in intent. Most often they begin as a prank that quickly gets out of hand, and a small untruth that is spoken to wind someone up takes on a life of its own, dragging the hoaxer along with it until the truth of the situation finally emerges.
For example, one fairly common lottery hoax that has been played at countless parties involves a video tape and a lottery ticket. The practical joker records the live draw and makes a note of the winning numbers. They then buy a lottery ticket for the following draw with those same numbers and invite people around for a bit of socialising. The video tape is discreetly started and the group watch the "live draw" take place whilst the joker marks off each of his lottery numbers one by one. The idea here is that the guests immediately get sucked into the illusion that the ticket has won the jackpot, and mass celebrations ensue.
Whilst such a prank can be viewed as something quite innocent, it can backfire spectacularly, especially if it is allowed to continue for more than a few minutes. If people are sucked into the hoax, they will often start acting on the basis of what they believe to be true. Some will resign from their jobs. Some will give their boss a few choice words as they do so. Others will max out their credit cards as they embark on the mother of all spending sprees. All such actions have potentially devastating consequences that need to be faced when the truth eventually comes out.
The moral of all this is clear: don't play jokes on people where big money is concerned. Not only could you find yourself facing personal embarrassment, you could also inadvertently hurt those around you who fall for your practical joke a little too easily.
Article Last Updated: 30/01/2008 16:49:59
