GREEN BAY (NBC26) — Lottery fever is in the air. The Powerball jackpot is now at a billion dollars.
- The billion-dollar jackpot has very many people excited, as Powerball tickets are a popular buy.
- Lottery Winners Attorney, Andrew Stoltman from Chicago, says that you will need to watch out for dangers if you win.
- He says that scams and people staking claims at your winnings, even family, are things to keep in mind.
The excitement of winning the jackpot seems unimaginable, but if you do win, there are a few things you must know before claiming your prize.
The billion-dollar Powerball jackpot has many people thinking about what they would do if they won.
"Properties,” said Lattrick Whiters. “I would probably invest in properties."
"I would probably move back to California and start a bee farm,” said Meghan Archiquette.
Lawyer Andrew Stoltman from Chicago specializes in representing lottery winners.
"You have to mentally prepare yourself because you are a target,” said Stoltman.
He says that winning the lottery is not always storybook.
"If you think your problems are over, you're wrong,” Stoltman said. “You will still have problems, they're just different types of money-related problems."
Stoltman says those problems are scams and others coming in to stake a claim in one's winnings. He says this could even come in the form of family members.
With all the dangers, Stoltman says no one should try to go it alone.
"You want to have a team involved in managing the money, handling the taxes,” he said. “You want multiple sets of eyes looking at the money."
Stoltman has had many clients and says winning is great, if it is handled right.
The dangers are there, but the prize creates a buzz of excitement for many people in our neighborhoods.
Iit's kind of like a gut feeling,” said Archiquette. “When it's really high it's nice to play now and then."
"I just came back from Florida, Coco Beach,” said Whiters. “On the way back, every stop we made, I got some Powerball tickets."
As exciting as it is, Stoltman told me you have not truly won until you claim the ticket, so do that as soon as you can. He also says to remain anonymous for as long as possible.
