Urgent Powerball warning to collect record $2billion fortune as winner yet to claim world’s largest lottery prize
A POWERBALL lottery player has won a record-breaking prize - but they have yet to claim the cash.
Lotto players should check their tickets after one bought in Altadena, California, matched all six numbers for the Powerball jackpot, worth $2.04billion.
The drawing was announced on November 8, with winning numbers 10, 33, 41, 47, and 56, and 10 as the Powerball.
The lineup was only confirmed after an issue with security protocols delayed the initial announcement.
The winner has one year from the drawing date to claim the prize, according to the state's law, but no one has come forward with the winning ticket yet, according to KTLA.
November's draw was the world's largest lottery prize, with the winner able to take home either a lump sum payment of $997.6million before taxes or an annuitized prize.
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"The California Lottery does not announce or publicly acknowledge when someone comes forward to claim a prize," Carolyn Becker, a California Lottery spokesperson, said in a statement to PEOPLE.
"That's because our big winners and their prize claim packets go through a rigorous vetting process by our security and law enforcement team.
"That process can take weeks, or – depending on the circumstances – sometimes months, and we don't declare anyone a winner until that review period is complete.
"This process is designed to ensure the legitimacy of the win," she added.
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Becker continued: "Also keep in mind that jackpot winners for both Powerball and Mega Millions have up to a year to come forward.
"And this particular win only happened about two-and-a-half months ago in early November."
It's important to know, whether the November drawing winner is identified anytime soon or ever, that California law mandates that the Lottery publicize the winner's full name and total winnings as public record.
The Powerball policy is that the prize is returned to "all lotteries in proportion to their sales for the draw run," If no one comes forward as the winner.
Experts say there are ways of increasing our chances of winning the lottery we've all dreamt of doing before.
The store owner who sold the winning $1.35billion Mega Millions ticket in Maine said the town was "buzzing" with excitement from the big win.
He even thought it was a scam at first when the Maine Lottery called him on Saturday at 6;00am to tell him the news.
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