A woman from Raleigh, North Carolina, Megan Sikora-Stypolkowski, was the lucky winner of the Powerball for $150K - but she only found out when she logged on to her NC Lottery account. She came across an article on the news about an unclaimed ticket - only to discover that it was actually her.

What started as a routine check of lottery numbers turned into a life-changing moment for Raleigh resident Megan Sikora-Stypolkowski, who discovered she was the winner of an unclaimed $150,000 Powerball prize - after reading about it in the news.

"I originally googled 'NC Lottery' because I was going to log in to my account to check the numbers from the drawing," stated Sikora-Stypolkowski. That innocent search led her to a Raleigh News & Observer article reporting that a $150,000 Powerball prize had gone unclaimed in Raleigh. The coincidence was too striking to ignore.

A welcome surprise in the news

"I was with my coworker at the time and I said, "Wouldn't that be funny if it was me,"" she recalled with a laugh. Curious, she logged in to her NC Lottery online account - and discovered the headline was, in fact, about her.

Sikora-Stypolkowski had purchased a $3 Quick Pick ticket using the Online Play option for the April 21 Powerball drawing. Her ticket matched four of the five white balls plus the red Powerball, earning her a $50,000 prize. But thanks to selecting the Power Play option, her winnings were tripled to $150,000 once the 3X multiplier was drawn. "We have never won anything like this before," Sikora-Stypolkowski said, still surprised by the unexpected windfall.

On Friday, she arrived at lottery headquarters to officially claim her prize. After the standard state and federal tax withholdings, Sikora-Stypolkowski took home $107,626. With the winnings in hand, she;s already making plans. "We're definitely going to take a family vacation," she said, smiling.

Powerball huge in North Carolina, thanks to progressive jackpot prizes

Powerball continues to draw the interest of North Carolina players, with jackpots that can climb into the hundreds of millions. The next Powerball drawing, scheduled for Monday, features a jackpot of $54 million as an annuity or $24.8 million as a lump-sum cash option. While the odds of winning the jackpot stand at a staggering 1 in 292 million, Sikora-Stypolkowski's win is a reminder that even smaller prizes can offer a big payoff - especially when enhanced by the Power Play multiplier.

Powerball is indeed one of six draw games offered by the North Carolina Education Lottery. Players have the flexibility of purchasing tickets either in person at retail locations or online via the lottery's official website or mobile app. The Online Play feature, which Sikora-Stypolkowski used, provides a convenient way to participate in drawings and check results without visiting a store.

A big convenience pays off in a big way

For Sikora-Stypolkowski, that convenience paid off in a big way. A quick Google search turned into a moment of disbelief, then joy, as she realized the lucky ticket everyone was talking about belonged to her. "It still doesn't feel real," she admitted.

As North Carolinians continue to try their luck with Powerball, her story serves as a reminder: sometimes, the winner is just a click away - and the unclaimed prize in the headlines might just have your name on it.