Ontario Provincial Police issue warning about fake Hagersville Catch the Ace ticket seller
The only place you can buy tickets for the Hagersville Catch the Ace progressive lottery jackpot is on Thursdays from 1 to 7:50 p.m. inside the Hagersville legion at the designated table.
If you see someone offering tickets anywhere else - on social media, in a parking lot, etc. - That is a scam; do not fall for it," said Dan Matten, Hagersville Lions Club member and one of the organizers of the fundraiser.
Const. Ed Sanchuk with the OPP posted a video on the Ontario Provincial Police - West Region's social media accounts where he said police have received several calls of individuals selling fraudulent tickets surrounding this fundraising event ... if you are approached by anybody in parking lots, motor vehicles or even people approaching you on foot to purchase tickets for this event, please make sure that you understand that those tickets are going to be fraudulent in nature."
Matten said he'd heard from community members that there had been an older man wearing a Lions Club shirt spotted in parking lots in Caledonia and Hagersville who was telling people they could buy tickets from him, and he would enter them into the draw on their behalf.
I find it absolutely disgusting and at the lowest level that someone is trying to scam the Lions and all of our good causes by pretended to be aligned (with us)," Matten said. How desperate do you have to be? Why do you do that? I just don't get it."
The Hagersville Catch the Ace fundraiser is being run by the Hagersville Lions Club and the Hagersville Rocks committee of the Hagersville Chamber of Commerce. Hagersville Rocks is giving half the funds raised to the West Haldimand Hospital and Healthcare Foundation, which supports West Haldimand General Hospital. The Lions will be giving their portion to the Hagersville Food Bank and other organizations and initiatives within the community.
The total ticket sales for Hagersville Catch the Ace has exceeded $1.75 million.
The estimated jackpot for the Feb. 23 draw is $650,000, with the weekly draw estimated to be around $90,000, meaning if someone wins it all, they'll get over $740,000.
It's such a good event. It's for a good cause ... and somebody is scamming people. That's just not right," Matten said, adding that everyone has a chance to win.
I feel so bad for the people who lost their money, and I'm glad that somebody came forward to tell us."
The OPP is asking anyone with information regarding this incident to call 1-888-310-1122. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or leave a message online at www.helpsolvecrime.com. You may be eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $2,000.