Iowa Man Accused of Hacking Lottery to Win $14.3 Million Ticket
April 14th, 2015 at 6:59:46 PM
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I agree with the article: sounds like a great David Fincher movie.
Aaron Sorkin can write the screenplay.
Aaron Sorkin can write the screenplay.
Ding Dong the Witch is Dead
April 14th, 2015 at 7:22:02 PM
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Why would anyone use a computer to generate these numbers, instead of an easy to audit ball blower?
May the cards fall in your favor.
April 23rd, 2015 at 3:23:27 PM
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I don't think the magnitude of this is being understood by a lot of people and the lottery folks are obviously trying to not alarm people to scare them from buying tickets. The Hot Lotto jackpot does not go out very often and odds are would not have again until the next LEGITIMATE winner. So if I was THAT PERSON, I would be contacting a lawyer because they truly had a chance of winning their jackpot plus the 14 million that this guy tried to steal.
Of course, if he hadn't rigged the computer to pick his numbers, some unknown person may have the 14 million if random numbers had been drawn. No way to figure that out at this point.
Of course, if he hadn't rigged the computer to pick his numbers, some unknown person may have the 14 million if random numbers had been drawn. No way to figure that out at this point.
April 23rd, 2015 at 3:36:28 PM
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This is a fascinating story! The Iowa lottery got suspicious when the Belize people wouldn't give their full names, but I'm wondering how they figured out that the camera had been tampered with, and what the clues were which led them to accuse this particular employee.
I've made this observation repeatedly in other threads. The ping pong ball system is not completely foolproof (remember that Travolta movie?) but I think it's still superior to computers. From the August 2011 issue of Harper's magazine: "In 1998, the Arizona lottery began using a computerized system for the Pick 3 game. A Chandler woman named Ruth Wennerlund always picked the same three digits, 9-0-7 (her son was born on September 7). After a month under the new system, she noticed something peculiar: the number 9 had never been drawn. She called the Arizona Lottery to complain. They told her that she was merely unlucky. A few days later the Lottery announced that a glitch in their random-number generator had prevented any 9s from being chosen. The thousands of people who had played the tickets with the number 9 were offered refunds-- but only if they had kept their losing ticket stubs."
Quote: DieterWhy would anyone use a computer to generate these numbers, instead of an easy to audit ball blower?
I've made this observation repeatedly in other threads. The ping pong ball system is not completely foolproof (remember that Travolta movie?) but I think it's still superior to computers. From the August 2011 issue of Harper's magazine: "In 1998, the Arizona lottery began using a computerized system for the Pick 3 game. A Chandler woman named Ruth Wennerlund always picked the same three digits, 9-0-7 (her son was born on September 7). After a month under the new system, she noticed something peculiar: the number 9 had never been drawn. She called the Arizona Lottery to complain. They told her that she was merely unlucky. A few days later the Lottery announced that a glitch in their random-number generator had prevented any 9s from being chosen. The thousands of people who had played the tickets with the number 9 were offered refunds-- but only if they had kept their losing ticket stubs."
April 24th, 2015 at 7:31:17 PM
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LOL. A 'glitch'?
If glitch means a major screw up by some lackey programmer, then I guess I agree
If glitch means a major screw up by some lackey programmer, then I guess I agree
Always borrow money from a pessimist; They don't expect to get paid back !
Be yourself and speak your thoughts. Those who matter won't mind, and those that mind, don't matter!
