“We’re begging people, please come get the millions!” — fortune in lotto winnings unclaimed

It’s that last agonising stretch before payday; the school fees are overdue, and you cannot remember the last time you went out or spoiled yourself.

Then the phone rings or pings, with a call or message from your bank. Urgh! 

You’re tempted to ignore it, but don’t, says National Lottery operator Sizekhaya.

That call could change your life.

ALSO READ:

R179m PowerBall jackpot has a winner, but remains unclaimed

R100m Lotto winner’s plans? Buy a burger and fund youth education

Ithuba calls social media allegations about lotto winners ‘baseless and untrue’

Lotto players are being urged to check and double-check their tickets (and not to ignore calls from their banks) because tens of millions of rand in winnings remain unclaimed.

Currently, more than R120 million in Lotto and PowerBall prizes are sitting unclaimed.

And many of these tickets were bought through banking apps, which means some winners may already have a notification waiting for them.

But here’s the important part: the money won’t be there forever, as there’s a 365-day deadline to claim a lottery prize.

“People have probably bought their tickets on their apps online and are just not checking the numbers, or probably thinking that it’s spam when the bank is calling them to alert them,” said Sizekhaya COO Fundi Sithebe, speaking to 702’s Bongani Bingwa.

Sithebe said banks automatically transfer smaller winnings into customers’ accounts when tickets are bought through banking apps.

But when someone has won big, banks will call you directly, he explained.

“Your bank will call you or send you notifications to say you are a high-tier winner… SMSs, WhatsApp messages, phone calls. Please, sometimes it’s actually not spam. It’s the real deal.”

To date, the winner of the biggest prize, a R93.5 million PowerBall jackpot from a ticket bought in Molapo, Soweto, has still not come through to collect their money.

And that’s not the only newbie multimillionaire Sizekhaya is trying to find.

“We’re still waiting for somebody who bought a ticket on the 13th of June for R23 million off an Absa banking app.”

Sithebe said people sometimes simply bought tickets and forgot to check them as work, family and everyday life took over.

“We still need you as the person that’s bought the ticket… to check your tickets, to check your numbers and to come forward to say that you’ve won.”

And what happens when no-one comes forward to claim their prize within the deadline?

Sithebe said the money is transferred to the National Lotteries Distribution Trust Fund for good causes.

But he’s urging players not to delay checking their tickets.

“We’re begging people, please come get the millions!”

Never miss a major story. Get breaking news and the latest developments from South Africa and beyond as they happen.