TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Bob Calamatia was thrilled to learn he won over $600 in a scratch-off game. But instead of walking out of the lotto office with the money, he walked out with a letter saying he owes money to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

He said he was later informed he owed $3,000 for an unemployment overpayment during the pandemic.

“I stay there about an hour and a half to be told ‘Sorry, you’re not getting this because you owe money on the DEO system,” Calamita said.

That was in early March, and he said he keeps getting stuck in red tape. First, he claims he was told he was overpaid unemployment by $3,000. Then he said he was told that was a mistake.

This week, he said he was told it was computer-generated error that he and hundreds of others have received. He said he was told it’s a fraud-fighting measure that backfired, and he owes nothing and will get his winnings after all.

But he’s worried.

Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken reached out to the Florida Commerce Department and was told they’re looking into this.

“If I owed money I would have paid it,” Calamita said. “I have no problem with that, but I didn’t owe money.”