Jan. 13 (UPI) — The Mega Millions jackpot climbed to its second-largest payout in history on Wednesday with an estimated $750 million prize.
The jackpot swelled to its greatest total since a $1.5 billion winning ticket was sold in South Carolina in October 2018 after no ticket holder has successfully matched all six winning numbers since September.
If someone matches all six numbers in Friday’s drawing they would be presented with the option of selecting a $750 million annuity paid over 29 years or $550.6 million in cash.
Mega Millions warned of potential scam attempts seeking to take advantage of the large jackpot, including using the Mega Millions name and logo to appear legitimate.
“We remind consumers that the only way to win Mega Millions is to first purchase a ticket from an American lottery and then match some or all of the winning numbers drawn. There are no random awards of million-dollar prizes and/or merchandise through social media sites or apps, or via phone calls, texts and emails,” they wrote. “There are no international sweepstakes or awards. Importantly, no representative of Mega Millions would ever contact individuals to advise them of a prize. If you haven’t purchased a ticket, you haven’t won Mega Millions.”
The winner of the record $1.5 billion prize waited about five months to come forward and claim a one-time payment of $877,784,124 but chose to remain anonymous.
