A man has accused two women of cheating him out of his $4m (£3m) scratch card win – because he can’t speak or read English.

Joao Luis DaPonte is suing Maria Oliveira and Susana Gaspar – all from New Beford in Massachusetts – in Bristol Superior Court disputing the ownership of the lottery ticket.

Court documents say DaPonte’s winning ticket showed a prize of $4MIL which, in his native Portuguese, translates to $4,000.

His lawyers say Oliveira cashed in the ticket on his behalf in return for a cut – but pocketed a lump sum of $2.6m while handing DaPonte the $3,800 he thought he’d won.

Oliveira, in a sworn affidavit, insists she has “never cashed in lottery tickets for anyone”.

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DaPonte claims he later discovered the scheme after speaking with a friend who knew Oliveira and Gaspar.

“The defendants’ acts ... constitute knowledgeable assistance contributing to the common tortious plan of depriving the plaintiff of his lottery winnings,” DaPonte’s complaint says.