Man’s $800 Lottery Win Delayed After Decade-Old Identity Mix-Up

A Timberlake man thought he’d scored an easy lottery win — but collecting it turned into a long, unexpected headache.

Carl McCain played the November 4 Mega Millions drawing and matched four numbers. That added up to a $800 prize, which should’ve been simple to claim. But because of the amount, he had to travel to the North Carolina Education Lottery office in Raleigh to cash in.

Instead of a check, McCain was handed paperwork explaining that under state law, lottery winnings can be used to pay off any outstanding debts owed to state or local agencies — after taxes, of course.

That’s where things got strange

Lottery officials told McCain he owed money in Lenoir County and Wayne County. The problem? He said he’d never lived in or even known anyone in either place.

McCain contacted both counties and gave them his name and birthdate. They found no debt. But once he shared his Social Security number, he was told it appeared to be tied to another person’s records. That was news to him.

Weeks of waiting, no answers

He kept calling for updates, but was told the issue was still being investigated. After more than a month of silence, McCain decided to try something different — he reached out to ABC11 Troubleshooter Diane Wilson, hoping she could help untangle the mess.

That move worked.

After Wilson contacted the North Carolina Education Lottery and Lenoir County, things finally shifted. Lenoir County removed McCain’s Social Security number from its system, admitting the debt dated back over ten years and may have been a case of mistaken identity.

The happy ending

Within days, McCain received his lottery check, minus the required taxes. Relieved and thankful, he said he was glad someone stepped in to help.