Powerball: California nurse 'pranked by son' into thinking she had won $1.6bn lottery jackpot

Nursing facility 'celebrates' after being told of win

The woman's daughter said the episode was 'embarrassing' (AP)

A nurse was reportedly tricked by her son into believing she had won a share of the word-record $1.6bn lottery jackpot in a prank described as "reprehensible".

The woman in California received a phonecall from her son saying she was one of just three winners of the unprecedented Powerball payout, before he emailed her a picture of what he said was the winning ticket.

The nursing facility she worked at burst into celebration as she broke the news of her "luck", according to the NY Daily News.

The health facility where the 62-year-old nurse was being celebrated by colleagues for 'winning' the jackpot (Google Street View)

The story also spread quickly online, as the 62-year-old - who has not been named - stayed to finish her shift instead of leaving immediately.

Her daughter, Jennifer, another of her seven children, criticised the stunt.

"It's a joke. It's a prank - by my brother," she told the NY Daily News.

"It's embarrassing. This is too much for us."

The Powerball lottery is offered across 44 states in the US, with an advertised minimum jackpot of $40 million (£27 million).

The three true winners of the $1.6 billion jackpot bought their tickets in California, Tennessee and Florida, according to USA Today. Their identities have not been revealed.

The nurse's employer, Schlomo Rechnitz, had bought the ticket for her and 15,000 other employees as a way of bringing them "hope", the Daily News reported.

His spokesman, Josh Nash, said that such a prank was unforgivable.

“If it is indeed the case that someone pulled a prank on her, that’s reprehensible,” he told BuzzFeed News.

“She’s a wonderful lady, and an incredible employee. She stayed to finish her shift.”

He said he and her employer had been unable to contact her since it emerged she may have been victim of a prank.