Woman wins $2M from lottery ticket she received as a gift

July 19 (UPI) -- A North Carolina woman received a $20 scratch-off lottery ticket as a gift from a family friend and was shocked to discover it was a $2 million jackpot winner.

Karen Urtecho Sandrez of Charlotte told North Carolina Education Lottery officials she received the 100X The Cash scratch-off ticket as a gift from a family friend who had purchased the ticket from Lucia Food Mart in Stanley.

Urtecho Sandrez said she was in a state of shock when she scratched off the $2 million prize.

"I could not believe it, honestly," the winner recalled. "You read it and you don't believe it."

Urtecho Sandrez visited lottery headquarters and chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump sum payment of $1.2 million. She said it was still difficult to wrap her head around the win.

"It's kind of surreal," she said.