North Van winner of $2.5M thought lotto win was a scam

A North Vancouver man who won $2.5 million in a Lotto 6/49 jackpot initially ignored an email telling him he’d won because he thought it was a scam.

Ryoichi Yamada said he was working when he got the email telling him he’d won the prize.

“I thought it was a scam,” he said.

But after logging into his online lottery account, he said he “realized there were a lot of numbers in there. I started shaking.”

Yamada quickly realized he had won $2.5 million, splitting the $5-million Lotto 6/49 Classic Jackpot from the Aug. 16 draw with a player in Ontario.

When his wife asked if he’d won $10, he told her the amount was a little more than that.

“I showed her the amount and she was speechless,” he said.

The North Shore man – who selected his own numbers for the winning ticket as part of an online PlayNow.com lottery subscription – said he’s taking some time to figure out what’s next.

But a trip back home to Japan and purchasing property are both on his to-do list.

Yamada claimed his $2.5 million jackpot on Aug. 22, at BCLC’s Vancouver office.

So far in 2023, B.C. lottery players have redeemed more than $72 million in winnings from Lotto 6/49.