Michigan Lottery Winner 'Thought It Was a Scam' When She Learned She Won $1M Mega Millions Prize

Anna Marquez won the million-dollar prize while playing the popular Mega Millions game on March 5, according to lottery officials

• Anna Marquez told lottery officials she initially thought it was a "scam" when she learned she won $1 million through the Mega Millions game in early March

• The 31-year-old Bay City woman did not believe she had actually won until seeing an email that confirmed the exciting news

• The Mega Millions jackpot was recently as high as $1.13 billion

A Michigan woman who just claimed a $1 million lottery prize was so surprised she won that she thought it was too good to be true.

Anna Marquez, 31, of Bay City, won the million-dollar prize while playing the popular Mega Millions game on March 5, according to state lottery officials.

Marquez, who purchased her ticket online, was not expecting to see she had won big when she logged on to her online lottery account the next day.

Related: The Wildest Rules You Didn't Know Powerball and Mega Millions Winners Must Follow After Hitting the Jackpot

“I logged in the day after the drawing and was shocked when I saw a big amount pending in my account!” she told lottery officials.

Initially, Marquez was admittedly suspicious. “Honestly, I thought it was [a] scam at first because you just don’t think this type of thing will happen to you,” she explained.

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But upon checking her email, she saw a message from the Lottery “with information on claiming a prize.” Suddenly, it clicked.

“That’s when I knew it was real!” Marquez exclaimed.

Related: Couple Wins $1M Lottery Prize on Scratch-Off Ticket 1 Day After They Got Married

Marquez has since visited Lottery headquarters to claim her prize, according to officials. She plans to use some of her winnings to purchase a home and pay some bills and intends to save the rest.

The Bay City woman said she only tends to buy Mega Millions tickets “when the jackpot starts getting large.” The grand prize for the popular game was recently up to $1.13 billion.

A single ticket purchased in New Jersey for the March 26 drawing hit all six numbers drawn, making it the fifth-largest prize in the game's history.

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