Woman wins $5 million from lottery ticket she didn't mean to buy

Jan. 2 (UPI) -- A New York Lottery player who ended up with a scratch-off ticket she hadn't intended to buy ended up winning $5 million.

Oksana Zaharov, 56, of Edgewater, N.J., told New York Lottery officials she asked the clerk for a $1 scratch-off ticket during a recent visit to Trisha Convenience in Manhattan.

Zaharov said the clerk instead got out a $10 Set For Life ticket.

"When the clerk handed me the wrong ticket I felt bad so I decided to just go ahead and buy it," Zaharov said. "I actually used the ticket as a bookmark for a couple weeks before I decided to scratch it."

Deciding to go ahead and buy the ticket turned out to be a good decision, as Zaharov found herself with a $5 million prize.

"I never win anything. I was sure the ticket was fake. It wasn't until I brought it into the office that I knew it was for real," she said.

Zaharov said she is now planning a family vacation to the Bahamas, as well as saving for her children's future.

"They will have a loan-free college education," she said.