Lottery liar accused of telling family and friends he is winner of £171m EuroMillions jackpot
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Lottery ‘liar’ is accused of telling family and friends he is a secret winner of the £171 million EuroMillions jackpot, but in fact he is making it all up as lottery bosses confirm his claim is ‘fishy’
- Rob Strain, 33, claimed he won the money and went into hiding after his win
- He beamed at the local shop that he won the third biggest prize of all time
- Strain boasted to people that he looked at new houses and nice cars
- But Camelot has said his win is ‘fishy’ as wins can be claimed quickly
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A lottery liar is accused of telling family and friends he was the secret winner of a £171 million EuroMillions jackpot, but in fact he made it all up as lottery bosses have confirmed his claim is “fishy”.
Rob Strain, 33, from Newcastle, claimed he won the money shortly after the September 23 draw and said he would be hiding in text messages to family and friends.
The 33-year-old beamed at his local store and reportedly said he was the winner of the third largest lottery prize of all time.
Strain, a roofer who was unemployed after he lost his job during the pandemic, is accused of boasting in snaps that he was looking at huge new homes.
And in more claims about his “luxury” lifestyle, he is said to have told people he was looking for luxury cars and looking for private security.
The fantasist’s tall tales soon captivated his Newcastle estate.
But the ruse began to unravel and people became suspicious when they discovered that the “millionaire” and his girlfriend were borrowing money.
Rob Strain, 33, from Newcastle, pictured, claimed he won the money shortly after the September 23 draw and said he was hiding in text messages to family and friends
Gloating at his local shop, the 33-year-old, pictured, said he was the winner of the third largest raffle prize of all time
Lotto company Camelot confirmed the 33-year-old’s jackpot story was “fishy.”
This is because winners can get the money quickly once the ticket is validated.
They said a cardholder in the UK had stolen the money and claimed it.
A spokesperson said: ‘It is highly unusual to behave in this way. Most people would just be in shock and planning their future, instead of shouting it from the rooftops.’
Strain, pictured, a roofer who was out of work after losing his job during the pandemic, boasted in snaps that he was looking at huge new homes. And in more claims about his “luxury” lifestyle, he told people he was looking for luxury cars and looking for private security
Those gripped by his alleged lies are devastated, including a man who said he thought he lent the couple a helping hand when he lent them money.
The man, who owns his own business, added that the incident made him feel physically ill and as if he had been “bent over a ton”.
A family source told the Sun: ‘Some people have fallen for his story and given him money, but most of us know that he has been deceived and that it is all lies and that he is on the run.
He has visited three mansions, including one for £3.9 million. He said it wasn’t his cup of tea and had to think about it. Pull the other! He also bragged about shopping for Bentleys.”
They said their suspicions that he was a fake was aroused when he asked a woman in the shop for a favor – borrowed her caravan for two weeks to hide.
The source said that’s not something a lottery winner does.
Those taken in by Strain, pictured, are devastated, including a man who said he thought he lent the couple a helping hand when he lent them money
The 33-year-old’s alleged fake lottery win comes after he previously told Chronicle Live about losing his £2,000 a month job due to Covid.
He told the paper he was on Universal Credit, which didn’t get through.
Strain claimed the DWP told him to go to a food bank if he was hungry during the August holiday last year.
MailOnline contacted Strain for comment.