Check your spam folder!
By Kate Northrop
An email from the Michigan Lottery about a $3 million prize sat in a woman's spam folder, but thankfully she did not mistake it for trash.
Can you imagine accidentally deleting an email from the Lottery alerting you that you won a multi-million-dollar prize? Thanks to the watchful eye of Laura Spears, 55, an email congratulating her on a $3 million prize was rescued from her spam folder.
Spears had entered the Mega Millions drawing on Dec. 31, 2021. While no one won the $221 million jackpot, she walked away with a prize worth writing home about.
"I saw an ad on Facebook that the Mega Millions jackpot was getting pretty high, so I got on my account and bought a ticket," Spears recalled. "A few days later, I was looking for a missing email from someone, so I checked the spam folder in my email account."
"That's when I saw an email from the Lottery saying I had won a prize," she continued. "I couldn't believe what I was reading, so I logged in to my Lottery account to confirm the message in the email."
As it turns out, Spears had matched all five white balls in the Dec. 31 drawing, which were 2, 5, 30, 46, and 61. Had she had matched the Mega Ball 8, she would have won the $221 million jackpot.
However, she had purchased her ticket online at MichiganLottery.com with the Megaplier option for an extra dollar, multiplying her $1 million prize to $3 million when 3 was drawn as the Megaplier number.
"It's all so shocking to me that I really won $3 million!" Spears exclaimed.
The online player visited Lottery headquarters in Lansing to claim her winnings, which Spears said will allow her to retire earlier than she had planned. She also wants to share and enjoy the prize money with her family.
"I definitely added the Michigan Lottery to my safe senders list just in case I ever get lucky enough to receive another email about a huge prize," the winner noted. Other online players might aim to do the same in case they find themselves in a similar situation.
The Mega Millions jackpot currently sits at $396 million for tonight's drawing at 11:00 pm EST. The jackpot was last won on Oct. 22, 2021 by a family in Havasu City, Arizona when it stood at $108 million.
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She found the email but did she produce the ticket?
She didn't have to...read the article. It was a virtual ticket purchased on-line.
Congratulations to her and nice chunk of change.
Great job 👍
Check Your Junk Mail Folder: You Might be a Winner Too!
Why didn't they send her a certified letter or call her?
Most emails will go to the spam folder and we end up deleting them all.
Especially the spam emails that inform you that someone has left you a large sum of money and you need to contact XXX.
Glad she was able to get he $$$
Congrats
Personally. in New Zealand, i go to the lottery site after a draw and check to see if I have won anything. I don't wait for an email...
Here we are encouraged to add KLC to your acceptable emails so they do not go to scam. Never won anymore than $500 playing on-line, but it went through regular email as directed, not Spam.
Apparently not many people here live in states where they can play Online or those that do never signed up. In KY they will send conformation of bets and then a notification of any winnings.
I'd like to hear the payment process from anyone winning over $600 paying Online. Prizes over $25,000 probably require a trip to lottery headquarters, just like in Michigan.
When you log into your online state lottery account, there is a pop up message as well (if you won any amount).
My neighbor Virgil McNutt eats Spam with Vinegar.
I ain't never tried it my own self.
Lol lol
How come the news story makes it seem that if she deleted the e mail she would have lost out on the prize. She has an online account and the game was purchased. I'm sure they would have tried to notify her again. Pure media sensationalism!!!
I play online and I enjoy getting an email stating, You've won a prize on ..... Sign into your account to find out more. Up to now, I have only small amounts, but hopefully one day. At least I can't loose my ticket.
Yes, a regular email saying Congratulations you won $____ on such and such a lottery comes. Something happened on one of my wins and IGT(RI) had to call an outfit that ICR name of in Chicago to get the funds transferred to my bank account. Then all was good
Good point about the $25K wins on a virtual ticket. They do have several locations throughout the state of KY that will cash up to $25K---though couldn't find it on-line 3 days ago. The two next city over only cash up to $5K on paper ticket wins.
A bank breaking $6 on MM last night, paper ticket!