A British couple who ‘won’ more than $50 million in the lottery won’t be able to claim the prize because there wasn’t enough money in their online account to purchase the ticket.
The Daily News reports that Edwina and David Nylan of England had all six winning numbers, but when Edwina called the U.K. lottery to claim the jackpot, a representative told the pair that their ticket hadn’t been paid for.
“We’ve tried to have a laugh about it but we’re completely distraught,” Edwina said. “We’ve spent years paying out for the lottery and this money could have changed our lives. We feel like we’ve been cheated out of it.”
The couple used a cell phone app to purchase a ticket before Christmas. When they were alerted that their account required more funds for the purchase, they added more money.
Lottery officials have apparently confirmed a record of the couple repeatedly trying to add money but there was no completed transaction before the deadline of 7:30pm on 23 December.
The payment was eventually processed, but not until midnight on December 24, well past the deadline.
