I won the lottery, but was sent a dodgy check – I threatened to sue lottery bosses

PUNCHES have struggled to claim winnings from new Lotto operator Allwyn – with one even sending a check that bounced.

Paul Simpson, 69, spent weeks chasing his £800 prize with a HotPicks ticket.

Paul Simpson, left, spent weeks chasing his £800 prize with a HotPicks ticket – and when he was sent a check it bouncedCredit: Roland Leon – Commissioned by The Sun

Several gamblers are reporting similar problems just weeks after Allwyn took over as Lotto operator

He was eventually sent a check, but it bounced.

TSB told him: “This check has not been cleared due to suspected fraud/counterfeit checks within the clearing cycle.”

Former government worker Simpson and his wife Pam, 71, had three numbers on January 31.

He tried to make a claim at a post office but was told to contact Allwyn.

After hours of calling and emailing, he was sent the dodgy check and advised to request a new one or a bank transfer.

Ultimately, after threatening a small claims lawsuit, he was paid – over a month after his victory.

Mr Simpson, from Leicester, said: ‘I felt like a criminal. But their procedures are chaotic and feel like a scam.

“I will never play that game again. When you win, it’s like they want to exhaust you, so you just give up or you’ll lose your ticket.

Meanwhile, 64-year-old Graham Crerar has spent five weeks chasing the £800 prize for completing three numbers on February 7.

Carpenter Crerar, from Notting Hill, west London, said: “They just drag on and it makes me feel like I’ve done something wrong.

Graham Crerar spent five weeks chasing his £800 prize for completing three issues on February 7Credit: Simon Jones – Commissioned by The Sun

Peter Wilson, left, also awaits an £800 prize payout

I was a millionaire for months without knowing it – I missed crucial email and called the police because I was convinced it was a scam

“They don’t know what they are doing and behave very unprofessionally. Never mind Allwyn, they should be called No-win.”

And Peter Wilson, 70, is also waiting for an £800 prize payout, six weeks after his grades were announced.

The retired sales manager, married to Yvonne, 68, and from Nuneaton, Warks, said: “I don’t know what else I can do to claim my prize. I will not do it again. I can’t worry about the stress.

“It’s chaotic and I’m concerned about the impact this will have on local communities and charities losing out on funding.”

We told last week how Amelia Barnham, 69, from Hammersmith, west London, had an investigator sent to her home by Allwyn because she had won several times in the past.

Allwyn replaced Camelot as National Lottery operator on February 1.

The payout rules have been changed so that prizes between £500 and £50,000 can no longer be collected from post offices.

Sources said this had led to early “teething problems”.

Allwyn said: “This is a brand new claims process following the Post Office’s decision to no longer pay out National Lottery retail prizes between £500.01 and £50,000.

“The time the process takes will vary depending on whether we require further information from the player to process their claim and how long it takes for us to receive the player’s ticket or scratch card.

“Because people are still not familiar with the new process, we also notice that a large number of players are contacting us.

“We are very sorry for any delays this may cause and we have increased the number of colleagues helping players with their claims, allowing them to receive their prizes more quickly.”

Allwyn has contacted Mr Crerar and Mr Wilson to notify them.