Charlotte woman thought she won $2 in lottery, got $445,289 instead

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - When Charlotte resident Sylvia Spaulding got the email notification that her Carolina Cash 5 lottery ticket won a prize, she was under the assumption that it was only a $2 reward.

But after double checking the ticket she purchased last Monday for a dollar, Spaulding was met with $445,289 sitting in her Online Play account, according to the NC Education Lottery.

“When I went back and double checked my numbers, that’s when I realized the winner was me,” Spaulding said. “I was in shock.”

Once she began to wrap her head around the fact that she won six figures, Spaulding went to the lottery headquarters on Thursday to pick up her winnings. Following mandatory state and federal tax withholdings, she brought home $317,270.

For her and her husband, the huge payday still feels too good to be true.

“I don’t think it has hit me completely just yet,” Spaulding admitted.

She said she intends to put the winnings into her savings.

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