Fake lottery jackpot: Scammer caught after years on the run
A scam that preyed on people’s dreams of an easy fortune has finally caught up with the man behind it.
But it only happened after he vanished for the better part of a decade.
HOW THE SCAM WORKED
Christopher Gibbon, 55, a former St. Louis man, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in connection with a Jamaican lottery scam.
Gibbon admitted to receiving packages of cash, checks and money orders from at least four victims.
That included one wire transfer.
According to prosecutors, Gibbon had co-conspirators based in Jamaica call victims directly.
They told them they’d won the lottery and needed to send money for “taxes and fees” before they could collect their winnings.
HOW MUCH HE MADE, AND HOW IT FELL APART
Prosecutors said Gibbon received roughly $96,302 from victims between December 2016 and July 2018.
He kept 20% for himself before forwarding the rest to his co-conspirators in Jamaica.
The scheme began unravelling in July 2018.
A victim in New Jersey handed a package addressed to Gibbon to a Postal Service employee, telling them she was mailing money in order to “become a millionaire.” Within the same month, US Postal Inspectors interviewed Gibbon directly.
He then told his wife he was going to work, and disappeared.
HOW LONG HE GOT AWAY WITH IT
Gibbon evaded capture for years.
He was finally arrested in Connecticut in 2025, nearly seven years after he vanished.
He pleaded guilty in the US District Court in St. Louis, and sentencing has been set for 21 December 2026.
WHY THIS MATTERS FOR SOUTH AFRICANS TOO
Scams built around fake lottery wins aren’t unique to the US.
South Africans have faced their own versions of the same trick, including Facebook Live “lottery” scams that convinced people to hand over money for prizes that never existed.
The pattern is almost always identical.
A call or message claims you’ve won something you never entered.
Then comes a request to pay a fee before the “prize” can be released.
Legitimate lotteries, including South Africa’s own National Lottery, never ask winners to pay money upfront to release a prize.
If you’re ever told you need to pay a fee, tax, or “processing cost” before receiving lottery winnings you didn’t even enter for, that’s the clearest sign the whole thing is a scam.
HAVE YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW EVER BEEN TARGETED BY A FAKE LOTTERY SCAM?
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