They say every misfortune can be a blessing in disguise, and that certainly seems to hold true for a Frenchman who had his credit card stolen earlier this month and now stands to pocket over $250,000 because of it. On February 3, a man identified only as Jean-David discovered that the backpack containing his wallet had been stolen from his car, but before he could contact the bank to block his credit cards, someone used one of them to make a $55 purchase at a local convenience store. Upon visiting the store, Jean-David learned that the two men who had used his credit card appeared to be homeless and attracted the cashier’s attention because they didn’t seem to know the PIN for one of the cards they attempted to use. The 40-year-old was also shocked to learn that one of the scratch-off lottery tickets the thieves purchased was worth $525,000. Jean-David's lawyer, Pierre Debuisson, said his client is willing to share the jackpot, since the thieves can’t claim the prize without him. France’s national lottery, Française des Jeux (FDJ), had already blocked the prize after Jean-David reported his credit card stolen, and any attempt to claim it by someone other than the credit card owner would likely result in an arrest. However, for half of the winnings, David would be more than willing to let bygones be bygones. In France, scratch-off winners only have 30 days to claim their winnings, so the deadline for Jean-David and his unlikely partners is fast approaching. “For that amount of money, I’m ready to come to an agreement,” said Jean-David, explaining that he would use his half of the winnings to pay off his mortgage.
