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Fake Lottery Ticket Pays Off

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The Associated Press

Published: December 24, 2007

NAPLES - When single mother Mary Ann Shaffer scratched a lottery ticket last week, she thought Christmas had come early.

The ticket indicated she was a $25,000 winner.

"I said 'Oh my God, it's a miracle,' " Shaffer told the Naples Daily News.

She looked on the back to find a telephone number to claim her winnings.

Elation quickly turned to sadness as she realized the ticket was fake.

"All winners are losers and must have an excellent sense of humor," the ticket read.

"How can anyone be so mean around Christmas time?" said Bear Terstegge, a Naples Beach Patrol officer who examined the ticket.

Word about the fake ticket spread quickly at the Naples pier, where Shaffer works at a concession stand selling hot dogs and water. A patron had given her the ticket.

"It touched everybody's heart," Terstegge said.

In the past few days, Shaffer, who has two young children, has received cards, gift certificates and hefty tips. One pier regular brought presents for her children.

And she's even received a few lottery tickets -- real ones.

Information from Naples Daily News, http://www.naplesnews.com

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