Couple thought it was a scam when the SC Lottery called. Now they’re millionaires
A Midlands couple made the most of a second chance to become millionaires — even if they didn’t believe it at first.
The couple from Irmo won the $1 million grand prize in the Double Your Million! Second-Chance Drawing, South Carolina Education Lottery officials said Tuesday in a news release.
The woman was driving when she got a phone call from lottery officials to tell her about the life-changing windfall, according to the release.
While she pulled over and told her husband he had to take the wheel as she processed the news, lottery officials said he didn’t believe what they were told about winning the seven-digit jackpot.
While she said “I can’t drive anymore,” his first words were “this must be a scam,” lottery officials said.
It wasn’t. The couple had their previous losing ticket picked from more than 800,000 others to win the top prize, according to the release.
And a few of days later, the couple were in their car again, but this time they were headed to the lottery’s claims center in downtown Columbia to collect their $1 million prize, officials said.
The winners did not reveal any plans for their newfound fortune.
The couples names were not released because South Carolina is one of eight states — along with Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio and Texas — that allow lottery winners to remain anonymous.
“I never thought this would happen,” the winner said. “It’s unbelievable.”
To participate in the second-chance drawing, you have to be a member of the South Carolina lottery’s player’s club. The jackpot for the next second-chance drawing is now $2 million, according to lottery officials.
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This story was originally published June 22, 2021 at 2:38 PM.
