Taiwan Volunteer's Lucky Streak Turns Sour: Theft of Winning Lottery Tickets Lands Him in Jail

A Taiwan volunteer's attempt to profit from charitable donations leads to legal consequences and a stark reminder of ethical responsibility.

In a case highlighting the importance of ethical conduct, a volunteer at the Genesis Social Welfare Foundation (創世社會福利基金會) in Taiwan has been sentenced to prison for stealing winning lottery tickets. The volunteer, identified as 陳 (Chen), was responsible for sorting and verifying lottery tickets at the foundation's Keelung branch between 2018 and 2020.

Chen, seizing an opportunity, secretly pocketed 4,045 winning lottery tickets, cashing them in and obtaining over NT$1.01 million. The scheme was brought to light when tax authorities noticed the unusually high number of winning tickets and alerted the Genesis Foundation (創世). The authorities found it implausible that this could happen with such good luck.

The court criticized Chen's actions, stating that he had abused the public's generosity and turned donations into personal gain. The judge found his actions “highly reprehensible”. Chen was subsequently sentenced to one year and eight months in prison for embezzlement.