It pays to doublecheck those lottery numbers — if you want to avoid heartache.
A couple from Pueblo, Colo., found that out after they checked their tickets' numbers in the local newspaper. At first, Jim and Dorothy Sprague say, they experienced a lot of joy on Sunday morning when they looked in the Pueblo Chieftain to find that their numbers were winners.
"I woke up and found out we were millionaires," Jim Sprague told NBC station KOAA.
In his excitement, Sprague called his children to tell them he'd won the $4.3 million jackpot.
Then came the disappointment: The newspaper had mistakenly published Friday's Matchplay numbers in place of Saturday's Colorado Lottery drawing.
"We had told my son and my daughter, and we were getting ready to tell our other kids, but we found the mistake, that it was wrong," Sprague said. "It's a good thing that I didn't talk to too many people."
The Spragues are able to laugh now but admit they're still a bit frustrated.
The newspaper published a correction in Monday's paper, faulting the error on "misinformation and an oversight." Sprague said he decided not to push the issue and said the experience won't keep him from playing the lottery in the future.
"I hope that I'll find the right numbers one of these days," he said.
For the record, the Chieftain reported Monday, the correct numbers for the Colorado Lotto and Cash 5 drawn Saturday are: Lotto 3 9 19 25 28 34, Cash Five 1 5 21 26 31.