A man who scooped a USD-100,000 lottery win almost dismissed it as a prank when he got an email telling him he was a winner.

The 59-year-old winner from Ingham County, Michigan, thought the message was a practical joke being pulled on him by his old college friends.

He was not even convinced when lottery officials tried to convince him that the win – worth GBP 88,900 – was genuine.

In a statement obtained by Newsflash, Michigan Lottery said: “An Ingham County man was certain his college buddies were playing a prank on him when he read an email that said he won a $100,000 prize playing the Michigan Lottery’s $300,000,000 Diamond Riches Second Chance game.

“The lucky player, who chose to remain anonymous, won $100,000 after he was selected in a random drawing that took place on Sept. 28. He earned entries into the giveaway by scanning non-winning $300,000,000 Diamond Riches tickets on the Michigan Lottery app.”

The 59-year-old winner said: “I got an email that said I won $100,000 in a Lottery second chance game.

“I thought it was from some college buddies who were playing a trick on me. Even after I talked to someone at the Lottery, I was skeptical about everything. Now, sitting here holding a check, I know that it’s very real!”

The statement continued: “The player recently visited Lottery headquarters to claim the big prize. He plans to save his winnings.”

The player said: “I’ve been a Lottery player for a long time and I’ve won a little here and there, but you never think it will be you who wins the big one.

“I’ve dreamt about what this would be like, but never imagined it would be a reality.”