I won a $70m Powerball lottery jackpot & immediately had to hire a lawyer – we need to change a huge problem for winners

A lottery winner has revealed that after winning the jackpot she faced a huge legal problem that not even a lawyer could solve.

In 2020, Detroit resident Cristy Davis was shocked when she realized she had won the $70 million Powerball. But when her identity was revealed, things changed.

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Davis never wanted her name to be known and even sought legal advice to find out if there was a loophole in it.

However, during a meeting with a lawyer, she quickly discovered that the law does not allow anonymity.

Under Michigan law, anyone who wins Powerball, Megamillions or Lucky for Life must disclose their identity.

“That was my big thing – I didn’t want to be on TV. I know so many.” [who’ve] “I’ve been through so much in life and it was either that or no money,” Davis told the Lottery Post.

After her name was revealed to the public, she noticed that scammers were using her name and story to trick unsuspecting people.

She said she saw accounts in the Waterford Matters Facebook group pretending to be her and asking people to send financial information to an unknown phone number.

The post reported that whoever was running the fake Davis account had stolen all of her money.

“And then I have friends there [replying]”That’s not her” and said I’m not on social media and I changed my name,” the jackpot winner explained.

Davis believes this problem is a major reason why lottery winners are not required to reveal their names. If fraudsters gain access to this information, it could pose a threat to vulnerable populations.

“The lottery people need to know that this is what will happen if they give out your name,” she claimed.

The scam was so widespread that even Powerball believed Davis was running a thief.

“The lottery even emailed me saying, ‘Oh, we heard you’re out here scamming people.’ I said, ‘You know, this is what happens when you reveal people’s names,'” she noted.

Davis explained that winning the lottery has consequences and winners need legal protection.

“They should definitely pass the law that allows this [lottery winners] be anonymous because [the Lottery doesn’t] “Recognize what they are doing to people,” Davis shared.

“[Winning the lottery] is already life changing. Many people move away, but some don’t. I did not do it. That’s probably why I felt this way all the time. It’s just too good to be true because of everything that comes after.

The US Sun has reached out to Powerball for comment.