Millionaire by mistake: the woman who won 2 million dollars in the lottery due to this accident

An unexpected decision changed Carrollton resident Kelly Lindsey 's life. When she bought a Virginia Lottery ticket at a Race Way Carrollton gas station, located at 13028 Carrollton Boulevard, she asked for a scratch card with lucky numbers.

However, the seller gave him a different bill . Although he had the option to exchange it, he decided to keep it and scratch it off.

The result was surprising: he won a prize of 2 million dollars (approximately 7.8 billion Colombian pesos).

This outcome was highly unlikely, as the probability of hitting the jackpot in the Money Blitz game was 1 in 1,142,400.

To receive the money, he had to choose between two options: receive the $2 million in annual payments over 30 years or accept a one-time payment of $1.25 million. He chose the second option, which reduced the total amount but guaranteed him immediate access to the money. With this choice, he became the second person to win the largest prize in that lottery.

In the county where he resides, the lottery has benefited several players. As of 2023, the prizes awarded in the area exceed 3 million dollars.

In addition to the adjustment for the cash payment, federal and state taxes were applied to the amount received.

In Virginia, lottery prizes are subject to taxes that significantly affect the final amount. According to the Virginia Lottery tax calculator, the $1.25 million amount was deducted from:

After these deductions, the net amount received was close to 900 thousand dollars (approximately 3.5 billion Colombian pesos).

According to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, the Virginia Lottery raised $934 million in the last fiscal year, representing 10% of the state’s K-12 education budget . These funds go toward strengthening public schools across the state.

In Isle of Wight County, where Kelly Lindsey resides, more than $3.7 million was allocated to educational programs and school infrastructure improvements.

In 2011, Dan Saunders , an Australian citizen, discovered a flaw in the ATM system that allowed him to withdraw large sums of money without it being reflected in his bank balance.

Over a four-month period, he used the error to access approximately 1.6 million Australian dollars (around 4.6 billion Colombian pesos), spending it on luxuries, trips and helping acquaintances and homeless people.

It all started when Saunders left a bar and decided to check his bank account. When he tried to check his balance, the screen showed him the message "balance not available at this time." To test what was going on, he tried to make a transfer from his credit account, but the system responded "transaction cancelled."

"I thought it was really weird, so I decided to try and take $200 out of my savings account just to see what would happen. He gave me the money so I went back to the bar and kept drinking," she told Vice.

Later, while returning home, he found another ATM and decided to try again. After making several transactions, he discovered that there was a specific time when the system allowed him to withdraw cash without it being deducted from his real balance.

"I realised there was a gap between what the ATM gave me and my bank balance, which meant that any expenses I spent could be covered by making a simple transfer every night between my credit account and my savings. I was able to 'create' the money by making a transfer between 1am and 3am, which was when I realised the ATMs were going offline," he explained.

Over the next few months, Saunders used the mistake to fund a life of excess. He threw parties, paid for private flights and covered debts for himself and his friends. He also used some of the money to help homeless people, paying for hotel rooms so they wouldn't have to sleep on the streets.

"Being able to grow your account balance into the millions with just a keystroke was very addictive. I felt like a caveman discovering fire," he said.

Even though the bank didn't detect the anomaly, Saunders began to experience anxiety. He dreamed of the moment when he would be discovered, and every time his phone rang, he feared it was the authorities.

"I was having anxiety attacks. When the phone rang I always answered it. I think there was a small part of me that wanted it to end, but I was past the point of no return. My life had changed dramatically," she said.

After consulting a psychiatrist, he was advised to turn himself in to the police. However, before doing so, he decided to share his story with the media.

"I never contacted the police. I just stopped making transfers and contacted the bank in June and July 2011. They said, 'It's a police matter, we can't talk to you now. They will contact you, you're in big trouble,' and that was it," he told Vice.

In 2015, he was sentenced to 12 months in prison for fraud and theft. After serving his sentence, he received a community correction order for 18 months.

The Nation (Argentina) / GDA

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*This content was rewritten with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on information from La Nación (GDA) and EL TIEMPO, and was reviewed by a journalist and an editor.