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California woman discovers $785 lottery win was actually $785,0000

By Ben Hooper
Denice Harvey initially thought her $785,000 Powerball ticket was only worth $1. Photo courtesy of the California Lottery
Denice Harvey initially thought her $785,000 Powerball ticket was only worth $1. Photo courtesy of the California Lottery

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MANTECA, Calif., Sept. 12 (UPI) -- A California woman said she thought her Powerball lottery ticket was worth $1 and then $785 before a clerk hugged her and said the total was actually $785,000.

Denice Harvey, 58, of Manteca, said she was scanning her scratch-off tickets and draw game receipts at a lottery Check-A-Ticket kiosk when she came across one that didn't seem to say, "Sorry, not a winner."

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"I'm blind, I can barely see," Harvey said.

She sought assistance from a clerk at the Oakdale store to take a closer look at the ticket from the July 30 drawing.

"I was telling him that I think I won a dollar. So he [scanned it] and his eyes got humongous! He came around [the counter] and picked me up and hugged me and said I won $785,000!" Harvey said. "I thought he said I won 785 dollars! Hey, I was [still] happy but he said, 'No! $785,000!' My legs went limp and here I am. I can't even win a bar of soap at a freaking baby shower!"

Harvey, who said she lost her home and car after her husband's recent death, said she already has plans for her winnings.

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"I'm going to be able to buy a little house! You know, nothing fancy. All I care about is having a place for my children and grandchildren to come see me -- keep [the grandchildren] overnight!" she said.

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