Police: Men steal lottery tickets from machine

OAKWOOD, Ga. - Some crooks are hoping to get lucky on the lottery the wrong way.

Police said three men have been going to gas stations across the metro Atlanta area, stealing scratch off tickets right out of the machines.

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Police said they stole about $200 worth of lottery tickets at the QuikTrip in Oakwood. Surveillance cameras caught them in the act. Investigators said they can be seen inserting money into a lottery ticket machine, but the money is attached to a flexible, “slim jim” type device. Police said once the machine reads the denomination of the money, the crooks yank the bill back out. The crooks get the tickets and get to keep their money.

Police said their luck may have run out. Thanks to the surveillance, police now know exactly what they look like and that they're driving a black Ford Expedition. Also, at one stop, the crooks weren't quick enough and the machine sucked up their extraction device.

“The suspects lost the device inside the machine, because they have to do it pretty quickly, otherwise the machine will grab it,” said Oakwood Police Sgt. Danny Sridej.

Cops are now hoping this is their chance to nab them, before the bad guys luck out and strike it rich.

“They could get lucky and pull the right one, it could even be a million dollars just by stealing the lottery tickets,” said Sgt. Sridej.