I’m ‘Agent Million’ & tell people they’ve won £1milllion jackpots – it’s NOT the Lottery & I’ve seen every reaction
EVERY month, two lucky people are told they have each won a £1million Premium Bonds jackpot.
Behind the revelation is an mysterious figure - Agent Million - who has the enviable job of delivering the life changing news.
Agent Million has seen everything from tears to stunned silence and always gives winners the same advice.
The next prize draw in April will mark 30 years since the first £1million jackpot was won - and there have been 526 winners since then.
We talked to the anonymous agent to find out what you could expect if you're one of the lucky winners in future.
What are Premium Bonds?
Premium Bonds are government-backed savings accounts from National Savings & Investments (NS&I) which offer the chance of winning between £25 and £1million each month instead of paying interest.
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You buy £1 bonds and each has an equal chance of winning, so the more you buy, the more your chances improve.
You can deposit a minimum of £25 and a maximum of £50,000 and each month all of your bonds have a chance of winning, £25, £50, £100, £500, £1,000, £5,000, £10,000, £25,000, £50,000, £100,000 and £1million.
Anything you win is tax-free but your savings also don’t earn any interest like you do with typical savings accounts.
All savings with NS&I are 100% secure and backed by HMT Treasury meaning your money is safe and there's no risk of losing your cash.
Who is Agent Million?
There are just five Agents Million employed by NS&I. Each is hand-picked from members of its existing staff - but they are never named publicly.
These five agents take on the exclusive job of locating the new millionaires and discreetly telling them they have won the jackpot.
They need to be inconspicuous and sometimes have to face arduous conditions to find the lucky winners and tell them the news.
Agent Million speaking to The Sun has worked at NS&I for more than 20 years and has been in the very special role for five of them.
What is it like to tell someone they’ve won £1million?
“I’ve seen every kind of reaction in this job, winners are always stunned,” the anonymous Agent Million told The Sun.
“Many cry, some go completely silent, I’ve even seen grown men dancing around their living rooms giggling.”
“Some people bring out champagne - and I’ve had to make my fair share of teas as a lot of people find themselves unable to move.
“I think it's one of the best jobs in the world. I’ve worked in all areas of NS&I and it's such an exciting product to be involved with."
What is a particularly memorable visit you’ve had?
"There are so many to choose from." says Agent Million.
Recently when I was training another Agent Million, we went to a winner's home and were confronted with a gentleman who had a wrench in his hand.”
“It was a little unsettling at first but then explained he had a terrible leak in his home which he was trying to fix.”
“He was pleased to finally have the money to pay a professional to fix it properly.”
“Another time I went to tell a gentleman who was a power of attorney for his mother that she had won the jackpot.”
“He asked me to travel with him to give his mother the news and she said to me ‘I wish you had come 30 years ago’”
How does a typical visit work?
“The prize manager and myself are the only people who get told who the prize winner is," says Agent Million.
“We confirm their details and I head straight to their registered address to give them the news.”
“A number of attempts to deliver the news will be made including staying overnight and revisiting the following day.
What are the Premium Bond prizes?
THE Premium Bond prize draw is held each month.
The winning number is picked by a computer called ERNIE (which stands for electronic random indicator equipment).
There are three kinds of prizes:
- Higher value prizes of £5,000, £10,000, £25,000, £50,000, £100,000 and £1million
- Medium value prizes of £500 and £1,000
- Lower value prizes of £25, £50 and £100
Prizes under £5,000 can be paid straight into your bank account, or you can set up to automatically buy more Premium Bonds with your winnings.
For higher value prizes worth more than £5,000, NS&I will contact you by post.
And if you scoop the £1million jackpot, Agent Million will pay you a visit to let you know.
NS&I no longer sends out prize cheques in the post.
"If the person isn’t available a letter will be left asking the customer to call us.”
“I usually wear something smart but casual so nosy neighbours, I always present my ID ask for the holder of the bonds and request they provide me with ID before giving the news.”
What advice do you give winners?
“The main advice I tell every winner is not to tell anyone,” they said.
“ Winner can sometimes get inundated with requests once people find out they have won even from family and it can be a lot to deal with."
“We also provide the winner with access to a financial adviser. It’s quite a lot of money to come into so it’s best to get some advice.”
Winners can collect their funds any way they please though most opt for a bank transfer.
Some winners chose to put their funds into an NS&I Direct Saver or Income Bonds account.
The accounts can hold up to £2million and are 100% backed by the treasury unlike accounts held with a typical high street bank which are only protected up to £85,000 under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
Do I have to invest loads of money to have a chance at winning?
“Of course not you can deposit just a small £25 and each pound deposited has an equal chance of winning,” Agent Million told The Sun.
The odds of winning a prize with a £1 Bond are currently 21,000 to 1.
“However the more money you put in the more your chances will increase. But you absolutely do not need thousands to win big," they said.
‘I’ve won £400 in just over three years on Premium Bonds’
INSTEAD of playing the lottery, mum-of-two Kate Tynan prefers buying Premium Bonds, which keeps her money safe.
The business coach, who mentors cake-makers and runs thecakebusinessclub.co.uk, says: “I’ve been investing in them since September 2020 and I’ve been lucky so far.
“In the past year I’ve won £100 in January, £50 in September and £100 in June. In total I’ve won £400 in just over three years.”
Kate, 45, inset, from Manchester, currently has £9,000 saved in Premium Bonds but her balance changes if she needs to pay for a big purchase, like a holiday, or tops it up with a lump sum.
She adds: “It’s easy to move money in and out of the account.
“I play the lottery occasionally but once the money is spent you won’t get it back. With Premium Bonds there’s no risk of losing the cash and it feels safer.”
One winner from Newham London won £1 million in July 2007. The bond holder has the smallest holding ever to win which was £17.
How to get started with Premium Bonds
Customers can purchase Premium Bonds online, by phone, or by post.
In common with all financial institutions in the UK, if customers are investing with NS&I for the first time, then we are required by law to check their identity and address.
You can also buy Premium Bonds for a child which they can take control of when they turn 16.
You can cash in all or part of your Bonds at any time.
Once you've bought your Premium Bonds you can manage them online and by phone.
This is also the best way to keep up to date with monthly winning announcements.
There's also an official app for iPhones and for Androids for checking prizes too, and even an App for Amazon Echo which means you can just ask Alexa.
You can have prizes deposited straight into your bank account or you can have them reinvested into more bonds.
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How to check unclaimed prizes
PREMIUM Bonds are often bought for others as gifts, or you might have an old account with NS&I you've forgotten about.
You can use the NS&I Premium Bond prize checker online to see if your numbers have come up.
You'll need to know the numbers of your Premium Bonds which can be found on your Bond record or through your online account.
If you've lost track of your numbers you can ask NS&I for them or use its Tracing Service.
There's also an official app for iPhones and for Androids for checking prizes too, and even an App for Amazon Echo which means you can just ask Alexa.
For this you will need to use your NS&I number rather than each Premium Bond number.
It's 11 digits long and will be on any communication you've had with NS&I.
If you've lost track of this, you can contact NS&I and they'll help you track down your account.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
You can also join our new Sun Money Facebook group to share stories and tips and engage with the consumer team and other group members.