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Clerk’s mistake led to $25M prize, Powerball winner says
Powerball winner Kathy Scruggs says she intended to buy only a Mega Millions ticket when she entered a store last month.
October 4th, 2011
06:50 PM ET

Clerk’s mistake led to $25M prize, Powerball winner says

The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are 1 in 195,249,054. It appears Kathy Scruggs beat them without even trying.

Scruggs, 44, of Lithonia, Georgia, told lottery officials Monday that she won September 14’s $25 million Powerball jackpot only because a store clerk had misunderstood which lottery ticket she wanted to buy.

Scruggs said she had asked the clerk at a Shell Food Mart for a Mega Millions ticket, not a Powerball slip.

“But when she turned around, she had actually printed out a Powerball ticket also. So I actually bought (both),” Scruggs said Monday in a video recorded at Georgia Lottery headquarters in Atlanta, where Scruggs had come to claim the prize.

Scruggs said she realized she won the prize the day after the drawing and woke up everyone in her house.

“We were screaming and hollering, and everybody came running,” Scruggs said in a Georgia Lottery news release. “We couldn’t believe it.”

She chose the cash option and will receive $15,124,017 before taxes, according to the Georgia Lottery.

Scruggs said she had been looking for employment since her seasonal job, relating to high school prom season, wrapped up. She said she’ll use the winnings to build a home for her mother and her grandmother, and to start foundations for the homeless and to provide dental assistance for the needy.

Baljit Suddan, a clerk at the Shell Food Mart in Decatur, Georgia, where lottery officials said the winning ticket was sold, said she would have been the person to have sold the slip. But she can’t remember this particular sale, she said Tuesday.

“Sometimes it happens,” Suddan said of the ticket mix-up. “They ask for something, and by mistake (we) give them something (else). ... It was a blessing for her.”

She said she had yet to see a picture of Scruggs and looked forward to seeing one so that she could jog her memory.

“I just want the lucky lady to come over here (so I can) see her lucky face,” Suddan said.

The winning numbers for the September 14 drawing were 16, 41, 42, 50 and 59, with 5 being the Powerball.
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Filed under: Georgia • Lotto
soundoff (223 Responses)
  1. Ben

    In Canada, you win $25 mil in the lottery and you get $25 mil in cash up front, tax free.

    October 5, 2011 at 12:47 am | Report abuse | Reply
    • edvhou812

      In America, we tell you that you are getting one thing, but really give you something else.

      October 5, 2011 at 1:16 am | Report abuse |
    • Lee

      IIn Canada, if your salary is $5,000/mo, your paycheck is $2,500/mo.

      October 5, 2011 at 1:33 am | Report abuse |
    • DecentDiscourse

      In most countries of the world they don't something so ludicrous as to have the government offer a prize which they then lower in value by taxing. It's just another scam.

      October 5, 2011 at 1:35 am | Report abuse |
    • alkhuu

      In America, the government raise money by tricking people with bad math skills into buying lottery tickets. This is called the stupid tax. In Canada, the government raise money by fairly taxing its people.

      October 5, 2011 at 2:00 am | Report abuse |
  2. chrissy

    And Andre now your a pud! Ive seen alot of white ppl on welfare! And before you even go there im white. That was a purely racist comment and not called for.

    October 5, 2011 at 12:47 am | Report abuse | Reply
    • J

      Most people on welfare are white... but skin color doesn't matter – in the end, it's another American in need of help.

      October 5, 2011 at 1:45 am | Report abuse |
  3. arthurrrr

    –wow-sounds like it is going to a good lady. Kathy Scruggs- you have had a hard time in life, yet you look sweet as pie. Now go with God and be Blessed and a blessing..

    October 5, 2011 at 1:00 am | Report abuse | Reply
  4. C. Sheen

    Is she married? Does she have a boy friend? Does anyone have her number??

    October 5, 2011 at 1:01 am | Report abuse | Reply
    • DonkeyPunch

      LOL

      October 5, 2011 at 1:50 am | Report abuse |
  5. j

    im sure she happy she wont have to work

    October 5, 2011 at 1:02 am | Report abuse | Reply
    • BHO

      It is clear that the results of your education are directly proportional to your work ethic... You and everyone like you are the reason the United States is going to hell in a handbasket.

      October 5, 2011 at 4:14 am | Report abuse |
  6. chrissy

    Well good for you snap and your point is? This woman works prom season....how long would you say that is? Not long enough to collect unemployment im bettin!

    October 5, 2011 at 1:02 am | Report abuse | Reply
  7. chrissy

    God plz plz plz give me patience!

    October 5, 2011 at 1:08 am | Report abuse | Reply
  8. chrissy

    Ok god bless you all, whether you want it or not, that is my prayer tonight. And to darth was very enjoyable reading your posts, Thank you! Good night.

    October 5, 2011 at 1:14 am | Report abuse | Reply
  9. Kenny

    She had good luck. Now this is bad luck for you. I bought a powerball ticket and all the numbers on the Power Ball ticket matched up on the Mega Millions. BUMMER.

    October 5, 2011 at 1:19 am | Report abuse | Reply
  10. Catman42

    There are SO many haters in the world, and it's amazing how a joyful, happy story like this causes them all to slither out from under their rock. I hope you all enjoy your nasty, spiteful, miserable lives.

    October 5, 2011 at 1:36 am | Report abuse | Reply
  11. Gral

    In Canada, we live much longer than you and we get free healthcare. The USA is now the worse of the industrialised country. Stop kiddin urself. A black woman in Georgia has 70 years old or so life expectancy.

    October 5, 2011 at 1:42 am | Report abuse | Reply
  12. Lydia

    Congrats to this lucky lady, and good luck in her charitable endeavors!

    October 5, 2011 at 1:45 am | Report abuse | Reply
  13. chrissy

    Ty j and commOnsense i do hope you were not calling me a dumbaxx??? And nothing in life is a probability

    October 5, 2011 at 2:13 am | Report abuse | Reply
  14. RB

    We were screaming and hollering, and everybody came running,” Scruggs said in a Georgia Lottery news release. “We couldn’t believe it.”

    And then her many Cuzins came by and asked for a few bucks.

    October 5, 2011 at 2:13 am | Report abuse | Reply
  15. chrissy

    And i bet you wish you were one of those cousins dont you? Lmao

    October 5, 2011 at 2:24 am | Report abuse | Reply
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