Australian lottery winner ignores calls about $40M jackpot win: 'Thought it was a scam'
The woman, who remained anonymous, returned the calls from the Australian Lottery after realizing she was the lucky multimillionaire
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A winner in Australia's Powerball, which is not related to the U.S. game, ignored multiple calls from The Lott when they tried to tell her she won the $40 million jackpot ($27.7 million USD).
According to the Lottery Post, the woman repeatedly sent the Australian Lottery to voicemail thinking the callers were trying to scam her.
In a press release attempting to reach the winner, The Lott spokeswoman Anna Hobdell encouraged players to check and see if they have a "flurry of missed calls," and if so, they could be the one about to receive "life-changing news."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The winner, who remained anonymous, reached out to The Lott after seeing the press release and realizing she was the lucky player.
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A picture of an Australian Powerball lottery ticket. (The Lott/Facebook)
"This just doesn't feel real. How do I know if this is real?" she asked, adding that her whole body went numb with shock.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In addition to thinking the calls were fake, the woman said she also didn't answer her phone because she was working. Though now, work is the last thing on her mind.
"My god, I can quit my job!" she yelled. "I can take some time off to spend with my family. We will be able to pay off the mortgage completely and set ourselves up for the future."
The Australian Lottery broke down the winners in the Powerball drawing on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (Australian National Lottery)
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The woman said she and her husband want the win to "go a long way," and their goal is to leave a legacy for their family "for years to come."
"This is really going to take some time to sink in," she added. "It won't feel real until the money is in my bank account. My husband and I have these goals in place and were wondering how we were going to achieve them, but now we don't have to worry anymore."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The winning numbers 2, 7, 15, 21, 24, 31 and 35 were drawn Thursday, Feb. 2.
The winning numbers drawn Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, in the Australian Powerball. (Australian National Lottery)
The division one winning ticket came from Victoria. There were also 26 division two tickets that each took home $26,183.75 ($18,154.37 USD)