New York Lottery officials looking for winner of $7 million Cash4Life drawing

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (WABC) -- The clock is ticking for a very lucky person who might not even know he or she is a millionaire.

The person bought a winning Cash4Life ticket for the July 24, 2014 drawing, worth a cool $7 million, at Milky Way Deli on Ralph Avenue in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn.

Now, time is running out to claim it.

Lottery officials started canvassing the Flatlands neighborhood with the lighthearted "Have You Seen Me?" and "Is This You?" fliers -- featuring a stick figure -- in an effort to find the ticketholder.

"I want some of that money," store regular Lisa Jean said.

She's been looking at the flier every time she comes to the Milky Way Deli in Canarsie, Brooklyn, and in fact, store employees say it's gotten a lot of attention.

"Everyone, they wished to find the ticket," worker Abdul Mallhi said.

But after Friday, the ticket is no longer any good.

"I'd be upset, because now you have to be poor for the rest of your life," Jean said.

The winning numbers 5-20-35-43-48 and cash ball 3 were pulled one year ago.

Why no one has come forward to claim the prize has many guessing.

"Maybe he's trying to hide it from his wife," one customer speculated. "Maybe the wife is trying to hide it from the husband, you know?"

Mallhi says there have even been a few overly optimistic customers coming into the store.

"They say (they won), but they don't have the ticket," he said

Prizes can be claimed up to a year after the drawing. Lottery officials recommend that the ticket holder sign the back of the ticket and call 518-388-3370.