Southfield Man Thought Lottery Email Was a Scam—Now He’s $200K Richer

A Southfield resident wins a $200,000 Powerball prize through the Michigan Lottery, initially mistaking the winning notification for a scam.

Online Lottery Player Scores Big with $200,000 Powerball Win

SOUTHFIELD — Nicholas Vasu, a 78-year-old Southfield man, received the surprise of a lifetime when the Michigan Lottery informed him via email that he had won a $200,000 Powerball prize. Vasu initially feared the email was a hack, only to discover it was legitimate when he logged into his lottery account and saw the six-figure balance.

“I am an avid online player,” Vasu shared. “When I saw the email the morning after the drawing, I thought I’d been hacked. Seeing the $200,000 balance was such a relief.”

Vasu’s win came in the September 18 Powerball drawing, where he matched four white balls and the Powerball – 01, 11, 22, 47, 68; Powerball: 07. The original prize of $50,000 was quadrupled to $200,000 thanks to the Power Play option, which multiplies non-jackpot winnings.

Winnings to Pay Bills and Help Charities

After claiming his prize at Michigan Lottery headquarters, Vasu said he plans to pay off bills and donate to charities with his winnings.

Powerball tickets, sold in 45 states plus Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, offer players the chance to win millions for as little as $2 per play. For $1 extra, players can add the Power Play option, which multiplies non-jackpot prizes by up to 10 times. An additional Double Play option gives players a second chance to win up to $10 million in a separate nightly drawing.

The Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays and can be viewed live at Powerball.com.

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