A falsification case may be filed against a man taken into custody at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office in Mandaluyong City after he allegedly attempted to collect a P172-million jackpot using a doctored ticket.
The tampered ticket, which bore handwritten entries in ballpen, purported to carry the winning combination from the April 7, 2026 6/49 lotto draw. The PCSO Data Center and Security Office confirmed the alterations after a physical examination raised suspicions.
Cross-checking the ticket against the official lotto database and the cotejo verification system quickly exposed the fraud. “Verification through the official lotto database and cotejo system immediately established that the winning combination had already been claimed by its rightful owner,” the National Capital Region Police Office said in a statement Tuesday.
The suspect was arrested on the spot. Authorities seized the marked and signed ticket as evidence.
NCRPO chief Police Major General Anthony Aberin credited the agency’s verification protocols for intercepting the attempt before any payout was made. “The attempt was stopped at the point where facts are verified. EMPO enables us to detect falsification, confirm it with certainty, and act at once,” he said.
“A closer examination revealed clear signs of tampering, including handwritten entries made using a ballpen, prompting validation by the PCSO Data Center and Security Office, which confirmed that the ticket had been altered,” the NCRPO statement added.
The suspect faces a potential charge of falsification of a public document.
