'Thought It's A Scam': Dh50,000 Big Ticket Win For Indian, Bangladeshi, Indonesian Expats

Imagine getting a call saying you have won Dh50000 and assuming it's a scam. Quite likely, right? That's what happened with Connie Tabalujan from Abu Dhabi, who is among the winners of Big Ticket's third weekly e-draw of September.

Four lucky expats from Bangladesh, Indonesia and India have emerged as part of this week's winners, each walking away with Dh50,000.

The winners reveal their first reaction on receiving the news and what they plan to do with the prize money.

Connie Tabalujan

The 53-year-old travel agent freelancer has been living in Abu Dhabi for the past 17 years with her husband. While her name was on the ticket, it was her husband who had been purchasing entries for many years. On this occasion, he bought the ticket under her name along with a group of eight colleagues.

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“Usually, my husband is the one who purchases the tickets, but this time he forgot his Big Ticket account password and decided to buy it under my name instead. When I first received the winning call, I was occupied with work and, upon checking my call log later, I assumed it was a scam as we believed the draw was scheduled for October 3rd. It was only when one of my husband's colleagues checked the website and saw my name listed that we realized we had truly won,” she shared.

Her husband will be splitting the prize with his colleagues, while the couple intends to use their share to purchase a new laptop. She added,“My husband and his colleagues are now more motivated than ever, with their sights set on the bigger prizes, so they will definitely continue purchasing Big Ticket. My message to others would be to never lose hope.”

Shiju Muthathian Veettil

The 39-year-old bartender from Kerala has been living in Dubai for the past 13 years, while his family remains back home. He has been purchasing Big Ticket entries every month for the last eight years along with a group of 11 colleagues.

“I've been waiting for this call for a very long time, so I was extremely happy when I finally received it after eight years of trying my luck. My plan is to split the prize money with my group. We will continue purchasing tickets, and my message to others is to keep trying, one day you will win.”

Prajin Malath

A 40-year-old salesman in the automotive industry, originally from Bangalore, has been living in Qatar for the past 17 years while his family remains back home. He first learned about Big Ticket four months ago through friends and decided to participate with one of them. Since then, they have been purchasing tickets together every month.

“The Big Ticket team called me in the morning, but I was busy with work, so I didn't pick up. When they called again and informed me of the win, I couldn't believe it, so they asked me to check the website. I was shocked, I didn't even know what to say. I never expected to win such a huge amount," he said.

My plan for the prize money is to split it with my friend, and with my share I will plan to start something in India. I will definitely try my luck with Big Ticket again, and my message to others is that if I hadn't bought that one ticket, I never would have won. So, buy the ticket, you won't lose anything, but you might end up gaining a lot.”

Farhana Akter MD Harun

A 43-year-old restaurant owner from Bangladesh has been living in Al Ain with his family for the past 16 years. He has been purchasing Big Ticket entries for the last two years, sometimes with a friend and sometimes on his own.

“I purchased the ticket under my wife's name this time. It felt great receiving the winning call. My plan is to invest the money into my restaurant and also give back to my community. I would like to try my luck again with Big Ticket, so yes, I will continue purchasing tickets.”

Big Ticket's September promotion is down to its final week, and the excitement is reaching its peak. With three weekly e-draws already wrapped up, the final week remains before the grand prize draw takes place live in Abu Dhabi on 3rd October.

Meanwhile, the Big Win Contest has now officially closed. Those who entered by purchasing two or more cash tickets in a single transaction between September 1–24 will want to stay tuned in as four finalists will be revealed on October 1, each guaranteed to win a prize ranging from AED 50,000 to AED 150,000.

For car enthusiasts, this month's Dream Car prize is the stylish Range Rover Velar, with the draw taking place on October 3, followed by the iconic Nissan Patrol in November.

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