A graphic shows a man holding up what he claims to be a winning powerball lottery ticket. It is also claimed that he will share $10 million with someone who follows him online.
It’s a hoax.
This is the second time this person has claimed to win the lottery. It appears to be the same “Sokhavy Hilton” who engaged in the same hoax in late 2012. The 2013 version of Hilton’s hoax reads:
My recent trip to Publix supermarket in Zephyrhills, Florida got me to win 600 Million Dollar$ from the powerball. I am going to pick one lucky winner to get 10 Million$ who ever shares this! Follow me on Twitter…
In 2012, he claimed:
Yes, I am one of the winner of 580$ Million Powerball I will pick 10 random people to get 1 Million $ each if you share this! I care for others too!
This is the 2nd time this person has claimed to win the lottery.Hilton appears to be fishing for social media followers, and his first attempt was successful in fooling many people into sharing his fake winning ticket photo. He had over 50,000 followers on Twitter in 2013, which had dwindled to a little over 16,000 by late 2015.
If you see a friend sharing this photo, let them know that the photo – and the offer to share the winnings – are fake.
Update: In October 2015, the 2012 version of the Sokhavy Hilton hoax began circulating again, with some posts garnering as many as 40,000 shares. Commenters pointed out that the screenshot showed an old Facebook app which dated to 2012, yet the shares continued to pile up for the bogus post.
Read more about the 2012 Sokhavy Hilton lottery hoax here.
Updated December 6, 2015
Originally published May 2013