A mum says she has made 100 phone calls to the National Lottery team and her bank in a bid to find missing lotto winnings. Gemma Murray won a lottery prize after playing through the app in October - but says the cash has yet to appear in her bank account.
Gemma told the ECHO: "Every month when we get paid, me and my mum put the lottery on for the month. She won three numbers - £30 - so I withdrew it from the account and we were told we'd get it by November 2, but we still haven't had it.
"I've spoken to the lottery and they said the bank could trace it but the bank can't find any trace through any of my statements and National Lottery keep fobbing me off. They told me last Friday it must be there but the bank has no evidence of it."
The National Lottery said the money has been put into Gemma's account, and that the company which handles its debit card transactions has confirmed this. But to trace the payment, Gemma's bank would need to contact them in writing - something her bank won't do.
Gemma said: "It's been an absolute nightmare, we've been back and fourth and I'm constantly calling them and they are palming me off. I must've called 100 times and I'm at the point now where it's not even the money, it's the principle.
"Imagine if it was £800, I do the hot picks so what if it was my three numbers? We've had no problems in the past but it's doing my head in. I've had to give it my mum so now I'm out of pocket. My point I'm trying to make to them is surely they have a better way to deal with these issues."
A spokesperson for the National Lottery said Gemma will be contacted by the customer care team and added: "In the very small number of cases that we see [like this], the funds are finally located at the bank’s end."
