Abu Dhabi Big Ticket winner refuses to claim Dh100,000 prize as he thinks it's a scam

Abu Dhabi Big Ticket organisers said they have made many attempts to convince lottery winner his windfall is legitimate

Abu Dhabi Big Ticket winner announced

An Indian man who won Dh100,000 from Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket raffle is refusing to claim his prize because he thinks it is a scam.

Organisers have been trying to reach Kammu Kutty since November, but he is no longer accepting phone calls from them.

The Big Ticket has had thousands of winners since its launch in 1992, helping to change the lives of many who have purchased the Dh500 ticket.

“The unique element in this situation is that Mr Kammu Kutty already accepted the call from the Big Ticket team but he didn’t believe the Big Ticket representative, despite many attempts to reassure him by advising him to check the Big Ticket website and social media platforms,” a press release from Abu Dhabi Big Ticket said.

“He continued to believe that it was a fraud call and as a result, no longer accepts call from the Big Ticket official phone number.”

Organisers were also searching for Sreendharan Pillai Ajith, who won Dh250,000 in Big Ticket's Second Chance campaign.

He was unreachable for a while, but he contacted organisers on Thursday morning after reading about his new fortune online.

Last year, an Indian man in Oman who had won Dh20 million could not be contacted for two days because he had provided the wrong number to organisers.

Abdussalam NV split the funds equally with seven of his colleagues.

How Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket has changed lives — in pictures

UAE residents who struck lucky with Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket draw attended a gala dinner. Organisers of the draw celebrated the winners' good luck at the Alexandra Dhow Cruise in Dubai Marina. All photos by Leslie Pableo / The National

Updated: March 11, 2022, 6:44 AM