Search Begins for California Lottery Winner Who Was Given $75 Instead of $75K

— -- The hunt is on for a mystery man who hit the jackpot.

Surveillance video captured this unidentified man cashing in after scratching off a straight flush on a Wild West lottery ticket. His prize? $75,000!

But the clerk behind the counter in the Palmdale, California, gas station initially read the prize incorrectly, giving the man just $75.

Now the clerk, realizing his mistake, wants to find the customer to make sure he gets the right prize.

The man was last seen leaving the gas station driving a large truck and wearing a backwards baseball cap.

California lottery officials told ABC News that the man may be an undercover lottery official who was testing stores to ensure they follow lottery guidelines. They are investigating whether the wrong payout was an honest mistake.

“It could be human error, it could be the wrong video, the wrong photo, it could be a lot of things,” California lottery official Russ Lopez said today on “Good Morning America. “In our business we have seen it all.”

But if the man is the winner, he has at least six months to claim the $74,925 he’s still owed before the ticket expires.

When it comes to winning, there are simple steps you can take to protect your lucky cards, according to Lopez.

“We strongly encourage all players to turn that ticket around, sign the ticket in ink,” he advised this morning on “Good Morning America.” “That way it’s yours.”