In 2019, Mark Goodram and Jon-Ross Watson claimed to have won a massive £4 million Lotto jackpot.
However, following a lengthy investigation, it turned out that the pair of crooks had bought the winning ticket with someone else's credit card.
After picking up the scratchard at a Waitrose supermarket in Clapham, south London, Goodram, 36, and Watson, 31, went on a four-day bender, posting their escapades across social media.
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However, when trying to deposit the money to them, the National Lottery discovered that neither of the men owned a bank account and so naturally became suspicious.
After being alerted to the suspicious circumstances, Camelot investigator Stephen Long got in touch with the pair to ask them about the card.
According to reports, they told Long that it had been given to them by a friend.
Goodram and Watson told the investigator that their 'friend' had owed them money, however, when he asked them for more information, neither of the thieves knew his surname or even where he lived.
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Police eventually discovered that the card used belonged to a Johsua Addiman.
Speaking about the con during the court hearing, prosecutor Denise Fitzpatrick said: "There was little prospect of success, but that is due to the rigorous checks of Camelot rather than anything done by the defendants."
During their investigation, police found that Goodram and Watson had form, with Goodram having 24 convictions to his name from 48 offences while Watson had 73 convictions from 143 offences.
And with the case heading to trial after they'd initially stated that they'd won the money 'fair and square', Goodram and Watson changed their plea at the last minute to guilty to three counts of fraud by false representation.
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Watson was jailed for 18 months for his part in the crime while Goodman was given an extra month for breaching the conditions of his bail, taking his sentence to 19 months.
During sentencing, Recorder Sarah Johnston said: "You must have thought all your Christmases had come at once.
"Camelot were instinctively and instantly suspicious of the tale that you told.
"You had the audacity to plead your sense of injustice in the national newspapers, subsequent to the fraud being uncovered.
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"The intended loss was not of Camelot. It wasn't to Mr Addiman. The loss was to the next rightful, law-abiding customer who was to go into that Waitrose store in Clapham and purchase that scratch card.
"For that unidentifiable individual, fate has twisted at the last minute and deprived them of a life-changing sum of money.
This type of offending is serious. It is rooted in greed and a total lack of respect for the property of others.
"You both have appalling records for dishonesty and theft.
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"I have no doubt that both of you will continue to offend in dishonest ways in the future."
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