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Nurse Pranked By Own Son Into Thinking She Won Powerball Jackpot
It could happen to you. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Somebody's not welcome at Thanksgiving this year.On Wednesday a Pomona nurse was identified as one of the three winners of the largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, but in the end it turned out to be a prank done by her own ungrateful son. The winning ticket was said to have been one of 18,000 purchased by Shlomo Rechnitz, owner of the Park Avenue Health Care and Wellness Center in Pomona, and distributed to the employees and residents of the 80 nursing homes he owns across the state. "If this were a prank done by her son as they claim, I think it's somewhat detestable," Rechnitz told ABC 7. "I guess I'll give him the benefit of a doubt in wanting to make his mom happy for an hour or so." Yeah I'm sure his mom is real happy about that now.
According to the L.A. Times the son sent his mom a picture of a ticket showing the winning numbers—probably one of those dozens of Photoshops circulating on the Internet. A daughter of the woman said the whole situation was "embarrassing."
Rechnitz says to make it up to the woman he's going to buy her and her family an all-expense paid vacation anywhere they choose. In the meantime, the actual owner of the winning ticket in California still has yet to come forward.
Another winning ticket was sold in Florida, while a Tennessee family has come forward as the holders of the third ticket, parading it around on national television and all that.
"Don't answer the phone," a CPA advised winners in the L.A. Times. "Everyone and their brother will be calling asking for money."
Was it you? The winning numbers are 4, 8, 19, 27, 34, and the Powerball number is 10.
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