Nguyen, who is married with a young child, didn’t realise he had won until he came back from a trip to Vietnam. California Lottery officials had released a video of him buying the ticket in a local supermarket, and after recognising himself in the video, he visited the Santa Fe Springs office to claim the prize. However, he could not find or produce the winning ticket, meaning that he could not redeem his life-changing payout.
The mechanic says that he will continue to play the lottery and will keep his ticket safe and sound. If you buy physical lottery tickets, you need to ensure that you sign the ticket and keep it in a safe space that you can easily remember. If you’ve got a lock box in your home or any other secure location where the ticket will be safe from damage, loss or theft, then tuck it away after you’ve put your name on the back!
The safest and easiest way to play lottery games is online - once you have selected your numbers and paid for your entries, your ticket is stored in a secure online account. After the draw has been completed, you’ll be notified of any win via email, ensuring that you never miss out on a prize.
California Lottery prizes, including those won on interstate games like Powerball and Mega Millions, expire 180 days after the date of the draw. To learn more about the California Lottery and games like SuperLotto Plus or Fantasy 5, visit the informational page at Lottery.net.