Jamaican Lottery Winner Collects Jackpot Wearing “Scream” Costume to hide identity from family 

Jamaica: A Jamaican man collected his lottery jackpot on Friday while wearing a “Scream” costume to conceal his identity. Dressed in a full outfit including a mask, white robe, and gloves, he received approximately 158 million Jamaican dollars (about 1.17 million USD) at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston.

Upon asking the reason behind the costume, he gave a reason and noted that he didn’t want anyone to recognize him, not even his own family. While explaining, “I didn’t want anyone to recognize me, not my family.” 

He is identified as Campbell who waited a full 54 days before claiming his prize, outlining that he was excited about the prize money, but the victory also gave him stress and anxiety as well. The winner outlined that he arrived late to collect the money as he was suffering with headaches and stomach pain for several days and was not able to come and collect the prize.

In Jamaica, it is common for lottery winners to disguise themselves to avoid becoming targets of crime or facing pressure from relatives. The man waited longer to claim his prize as he was experiencing strong emotions and stress related to money and other issues, which led to a deterioration in his health.

His unusual appearance at the prize ceremony quickly went viral on social media, highlighting that several winners take such extreme steps to avoid any mishaps and hide their true identity.

The man explained, “In Jamaica, disguises are standard practice for lottery winners because the second your name gets out, you become a target, for criminals, for “relatives,” for anyone who suddenly remembers your number."

Netizens reacted to the incident and called it hilarious. One of the users added, “That is hilarious! Hayes' family must’ve really done him wrong to go to that degree. Because with all that money, he could’ve easily given everyone a nice stash and call it a day, but that costume speaks volumes about how they treated him.”

Another user added, “Honestly anyone who gets a large amount should stay anonymous like who knows what they could do to you.”