Lottery winner from town with population of 27.Photo: Colorado Lottery

Woman From Town with a Population of 27 Wins $250K Lottery Prize – and She Thought It Was A Scam!

A woman from a super small town in Colorado just won herself a very big lottery prize!

Joanie, who lives in the town of Cowdrey, recentlywon $250,000on a 100X The Cash Bonus Draw scratch ticket, according to a press release from state lottery officials.

The woman initially thought she was being scammed, having learned about her winnings through a certified letter she received in the mail, per the release.

But it wasn’t a hoax. She’d actually won.

As for why the news came to her that way, lottery officials explained in a comment that because it was a bonus draw “it was supposed to be a surprise that she won.”

Although Joanie chose not to show her face when she posed with her big check from lottery officials, she knows that keeping her identity a secret won’t be easy in her small town in the mountains — which is home to just 27 people.

“Everyone will know!” Joanie said, per the release.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Cowdrey, Colorado.google maps

Cowdrey Colorado

This is not Joanie’s first rodeo with the lottery, but it is the biggest prize she’s claimed to date.

Prior to her recent victory, the local court worker’s largest single-game prize was $500.

Joanie recently collected the massive prize at the Fort Collins claim center — and she has a few plans in mind for the money.

In addition to opening a trust fund, the Colorado woman is “considering buying more alpacas.”

“We’re sure they’ll be very happy in Cowdrey,” state lottery officials said.

source: people.com