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Lotto winner thought $1 million phone call was a prank

By Brooks Hays
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Jan. 15 (UPI) -- When a North Carolina man got a phone message telling him he'd won $1 million, he and his wife thought it might be a prank.

When Eddie Nations called the North Carolina Education Lottery back, he realized it wasn't a joke.

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"I started crying and shaking," Nations said in a news release. "I never thought I'd win something like this."

Nations' entry was one of 1,395,919 in the Extreme Millions Second-Chance drawing. He was given the option to receive his prize in the form of annual payments, $50,000 for 20 years, or a lump sum of $600,000. Nations chose the lump sum.

"I joked with her and told her, 'After all these years, I bet you never thought you'd be married to a millionaire did you?'" Nations said. "It looks like we can get the new truck you want."

Extreme Millions began in 2016. Upon its creation, the lottery announced four top prizes of $10 million and 22 drawings of $1 million. There are two top prizes and 11 $1 million drawings left. The lottery has raised $600 million for North Carolina public schools.

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