The $115K Florida Lottery ticket was real, but the claim wasn't

A six-figure Florida Lottery win seemed to be legitimate when first looking at it, but then investigators say the claim quickly fell apart when they discovered the winning ticket had been stolen by the lottery retailer who sold it.

According to Florida Lottery officials, a $115,734 Fantasy 5 ticket claimed at lottery headquarters in late October was indeed a valid winner. However, there was an issue. Investigators say the person attempting to claim the prize was not the rightful owner.

Winning ticket flagged

Around noon on October 20, 2025, Jawed Areeb, 26 years old, arrived at the Florida Lottery office in West Palm Beach. He was there to claim what he believed was a winning Fantasy 5 ticket, according to authorities.

He provided lottery officials with his identification and gave them the ticket. Lottery officials were quickly able to identify the ticket by its serial number, which showed it was a legitimate winning ticket.

During a standard claim, lottery officials then begin an electronic verification process, which transmits the ticket information to lottery headquarters in Leon County. It was during this step of the process that officials noticed a problem.

Lottery officials later determined that the ticket Areeb was trying to claim had already been reported stolen weeks earlier.

The ticket was reported stolen from a lottery retailer

Investigators determined the winning Fantasy 5 ticket was stolen from its rightful owner on the morning of October 2, 2025, at a business in North Lauderdale.

Not only was this business the location where the winning ticket was sold. However, it was also owned by the man now accused of stealing it.

Despite the fact that there was a theft report already on file, Areeb claimed the ticket was his. He continued with the claim process until lottery officials stopped the payout.

Lottery officials say the stolen-ticket alert prevented the prize money from being paid out improperly.

Nephew tried to claim the prize

The story gets even more interesting. Authorities contacted Areeb on November 24, 2025, to ask how he obtained the winning ticket. During that phone call, Areeb reportedly told investigators that he got the ticket from his uncle around October 22, 2025.

Areeb told investigators that his uncle told him to cash the ticket and not disclose his uncle's involvement in the claim.

However, Areeb allegedly gave police his uncle's full name. He also confirmed the location of his uncle's North Lauderdale business, which happens to be the same location from which the ticket was reported stolen.

The investigation continued

A new year came, and the investigation continued. On January 3, 2026, authorities went to Areeb's home in Sunrise, Florida.

During that visit, investigators say Areeb admitted that he knowingly submitted a false lottery claim form in an attempt to obtain the winnings.

Officials later located Areeb in Palm Beach County, where he was taken into custody. He was later transported to the Palm Beach County Jail for processing.

Authorities haven't announced whether charges are pending against the uncle who allegedly stole the ticket, but the investigation remains ongoing.

Enjoy playing the Florida Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.