How convicted rapist and Camelot insider behind Britain’s biggest ever suspected Lotto scam almost got away with it
Camelot was fined a record £3million last week for failing to detect alleged con Giles Knibbs
THE Camelot worker behind Britain’s biggest-ever suspected Lotto scam was sent secret details of an unclaimed £2.5million prize.
Giles Knibbs, 38, was working late in the fraud detection department when a print-out of the information arrived.
He then allegedly plotted to claim the winnings with convicted rapist Edward Putman, 51.
Camelot was fined a record £3million last week for failing to detect the alleged con.
A close pal of Giles revealed: “Because he worked in the fraud department Giles knew how to claim the money.
“Once he had the winning numbers he was able to access Camelot’s databases and establish where and when the missing ticket was purchased.
“He then knew how far they could doctor a ticket with the same numbers and bought one from the same shop so it was just convincing enough to get past Camelot’s investigators.
“He told me it was a spur of the moment thing. He saw information and thought, ‘This is worth a fortune’.”
The pal said they met when Putman re-fitted Giles’ kitchen.
He said: “He was known as being a bit of a wide boy, a geezer – a bit like the guy from the Fast Show. Giles wanted to do properties up and sell them on. Eddie was keen to do the same so they kept in touch.
“I think Giles contacted Eddie — it was obvious Eddie was dodgy and he needed someone to help him claim the prize.”
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The friend added: “The one thing missing on their ticket was the complete barcode. You’d think Camelot would never pay out without that. But it had everything else going for it.
“When the then-Camelot chief executive Dame Dianne Thompson rang Edward Putman and signed it off, the job was done.”
Putman insisted on anonymity when he won in 2009.
He bought a £750,000 home and a top of the range BMW X5 and went back on his promise to hand over a percentage to Giles. But his win became public in 2012 when he was jailed for benefit fraud.
Our source said: “Giles went white as a ghost when we heard about Eddie getting done.
“I thought it was the shock of learning that someone who worked on your kitchen was a rapist. Now I realise he was worried the whole thing would come crashing down.”
The pal said Giles confronted Putman in 2015 and “lost it”, smashing his CCTV cameras and his car.
Putman went to police claiming Giles, from Bricket Wood, Herts, was blackmailing him and he was arrested.
Giles feared being rumbled and committed suicide.
Putman, of Kings Langley, Herts, was also questioned but to date no charges have been brought against him.
The source said one reason was that Camelot lost the dodgy ticket. He said: “It is a bit like losing the murder weapon.”
The friend believes Giles left suicide notes with a confession that could help convict him. But police found nothing when they checked Giles’ computer.
The friend said: “Giles has paid the ultimate price for, let’s face it, a bad decision.”