If the name is not very common and a googling the name will lead to very few people in the US with that name, will changing the name before claiming the jackpot help?
Fun question to explore!
I do not know if the California Lotto “announces” the names of the winners (I do not think so), but the name of the winner and the retailer where the ticket was purchased falls under the California Public Records Request. (CPRA). This means that I can request all the names of the winners and retailers from say 2014.
Finding the “human” behind a business entity (even a fictitious business name) can be easily done online.
Name changes must be “published” (which means the name may get a hit online) and are part of public documents that may be retrieved at the courthouse.
So, how hard you are to find will depend on the layers you create.
e.g. If you:
1. Change your name from “James ‘Jimmy’ Morgan McGill” to “Saul Goodman”;
2. Create an LLC called Goodman Investments LLC (or perhaps fictitious business name of the same);
3. Collect your prize; then
4. Change your name back to your original name.
You will be fairly well hidden from those who do not know where to look. However, anyone who REALLY wanted to find you, and knows what they are doing, could probably do so after one CPRA request, 2-hours on the computer , and trip to the courthouse.
As a side benefit – you will likely not get calls from fundraisers.
Interesting question, and a good one to have I suppose. If you change your legal name before claiming the jackpot then arguably the general public will be unlikely to figure out you are the same "John or Jane Smith" that one the jackpot. However, it is generally friends and family who are the issue when it comes to winning money. How will you keep that fact from them (unless of course you don't change anything about your daily living habits)? Changing your name will not change who your friends and family are. Then you have to go about changing everything such as all your identification, credit cards, loans, etc. You then have to move forward with the new name in the future. Won't friends and family question why you are now going by the name of "John or Jane Smith"? Or do you plan on using an alias? That poses it's own issues.
Just a few things to think about before you legally change your name. In addition, it takes time to go through that process, time that you let California earn interest on your money.
There is no way to remain fully "anonymous" given the rules of the superlotto.
