Lotto Powerball: Who would you tell if you won $38m?

If you won Wednesday's massive $38 million Powerball, who do you trust and who would you tell?

The win might solve all your money problems, but it could be the start of many more.

With the prospect of fake friends, greedy relatives and golddiggers lining up on the horizon, Newshub asked Lotto for advice on what to do.

• 40 people win first division Lotto - how did it happen?
• The Lotto numbers to avoid to maximise your winnings
• The Lotto number that's being drawn twice as much as it should

Lotto communications advisor Jessica Jordan says Powerball winners typically do not tell work colleagues or speak directly to media.

"One of the key pieces of advice we give all major prize winners is to think carefully about who they should tell about their win," Jordan told Newshub.

"While everyone's personal situation is different, we find that the vast majority of Powerball winners share the news with immediate family straight after their win - after all, it's such an exciting time and it's great to be able to share it with the ones they love.

"Once the dust has settled, winners often tell extended family as well as close family friends, which they tell us is a very happy time."

Even if you don't tell anyone, flashing the cash with new cars and property might give you away.

"Take your time deciding what to do next - don't make any big decisions until you've had a chance to work out what you really want to do with your winnings," Jordan says.

"Get professional financial advice from a registered financial advisor. Financial advisors are experts in helping people manage their money and have lots of advice to help winners manage their unexpected windfall."

Many Kiwis want to help others, but want to do good by stealth. In December 2017, a Tauranga man won $5.5 million with Powerball First Division and chose to donate an ambulance to St John's Tauranga with some of his winnings.

"A lot of our winners, at all levels, tell us that they will use their winnings to make anonymous donations to their favourite charities," Jordan says.

Newshub.