Man left fuming after only getting $20 of $100,000 lottery win

Imagine realising that your dream $100,000 (£74,819) lottery win was a technical error.

That's precisely what happened to poor Indiana local Mike Fields recently, who believed his life had changed after 'winning' the grand prize from a scratch card.

Having played the Space Invaders Cash Invasion game four times in total, he scanned the winning ticket only to learn that thousands of dollars were no longer up for grabs - just a measly $20 (£14.96) instead.

According to The Sun US, officials from the Hoosier Lottery headquarters in Indianapolis claimed that the game was suffering a 'technical issue'

"They never told us, 'No.' They just said that we wouldn't be paid today, and no other information really, except that we would be informed by mail within 30 days," Fields recalled in an interview with WXIN.

The faulty game in questions sees players scratching a rocket symbol, which reveals the prize below. Forklift driver Fields' declared $100k, apparently.

Fascinatingly, he's not the only gamer to come unstuck by the Space Invaders Cash Invasion game.

Also speaking to WXIN about his experience, Glendon Jones claimed he once won $2,500 (£1,870) before being told at the same headquarters that an error had occurred.

"They said to come down here to headquarters and they would pay the ticket. I get here, and they say it's a mess-up, a misprint, and that I'm pretty much out of luck on it," he said.

What's even worse with Jones' story is that he won zilch in the end, not even $20.

In response to these issues, the Hoosier Lottery has since stopped sales of its $5 Space Invaders Cash Invasion scratch-off game.

"The $5 Space Invaders Cash Invasion Scratch-off launched with a technical issue. We halted the sales of the ticket to ensure the game experience upholds the integrity we strive to provide," the Hoosier Lottery said in a statement.

Dimas Ardian/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Director of External Affairs at the Hoosier Lottery, Jared Bond, added in his own statement obtained by PEOPLE: "We became aware of a technical issue with our recently launched $5 Space Invaders Cash Invasion Scratch-off. The issue involved a printing error where some tickets appeared to show a prize different from what was recorded on the lottery commission's official validation record. The lottery is reviewing all applicable rules and procedures to determine the proper remedy."

Meanwhile, if you're ever in the mood to try your luck at picking the lottery numbers, make sure to check out this top numerologist's advice.