South Africans have cast doubt on the legitimacy of an unidentified woman who has come forward to claim the R124 million Powerball lotto jackpot that was won last week.
According to Ithuba, the winning ticket was bought via the Absa banking app.
R124 POWERBALL WINNER COMES FORWARD
According to Ithuba, a Johannesburg woman has come forward this week to claim the R124 million Powerball jackpot.
The anonymous winner purchased her ticket via her Absa banking app with a R37.50 wager. The numbers were selected manually.
According to the woman, she unknowingly ignored a call from her bank, which notified her of her winnings.
“I kept seeing calls from an unfamiliar number but thought it was telesales, so I ignored them at first…I finally answered, and it was my bank advising me to report to the nearest Ithuba office as I had won some money.
“They didn’t tell me the exact amount. It was only when I arrived at Ithuba that I was told I had won the jackpot. I am still in shock.”
The Powerball winner revealed how she would be spending her fortune.
“My husband has been unemployed for a few years, so we’ve been living on one income; it’s been a tough, hand-to-mouth situation. Now everything will change. I wish my parents were still here; there’s so much I would have wanted to do for them.”
SOUTH AFRICANS QUESTION LEGITIMACY OF LOTTO PAYOUTS
On the X app, many South Africans expressed doubt in the version of events told by the reported Powerball winner. Some found the woman’s story hard to believe, given her claims that she did not check her winning numbers and ignored persistent calls following a massive lotto windfall.
Others, like X user @victordascencao, have raised suspicions about how and why Lotto and Powerball jackpots have only been won by FNB and Absa app users in the last five years.
“There are no public records of Division 1 winners from Capitec, Nedbank, TymeBank, retail tills, or the National Lottery website in this period”, the X user posted.
Some X users have also pointed to a scandal involving the National Lottery Commission (NLC) fraudulently misappropriation of funds intended for charitable purposes.
Some South Africans called for Ithuba to bring back live Lotto and Powerball draws to beat the allegations of them running a “scam”.
Ithuba has clarified that “all draws are conducted in the presence of independent auditors and under surveillance.”
WHY ARE WINNERS ANONYMOUS?
According to Ithuba, Lotto and Powerball winners are protected by the Data Protection Act.
As a result, the lottery operator cannot reveal the winner’s personal information without their consent.
DO YOU BELIEVE THERE WAS A POWERBALL WINNER?
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