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Free Trivia App Is Sweeping The Country And Paying Big Bucks -- Or $4

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) --   It's a new trivia app that is sweeping the country.

And people are quite literally obsessed. Have you noticed your friends not picking up the phone around noon and 6 p.m. daily?

The game offers cash prizes but as CBS2's Crystal Cruz reports, people winning modest sums aren't stopping people from freaking out when they win.

It doesn't hurt that the game is free to play. It's called HQ Trivia.

Game lovers call it thrilling and addictive. It's also putting lots of money in some people's pockets.

A SoCal man recently won thousands of dollars and even more are trying.

But people have also been known to lose their minds when they win as little as $4.

Lauren May won$11 playing the hottest trivia game to hit cellphones.

The game was created by the same guys that brought you Vine.

The host is comedian Scott Rogowsky.

HQ Trivia
(credit: JQ Trivia)

"It beats copy writing for a temp agency; it definitely beat blogging" he says. Those were his jobs before landing the hosting gig.

At HQ headquarters, Scott, the creators, writers and fact-checkers are busy coming up with trivia questions.

Twice a day you can play on your phone. Once on weekends.

The game starts at noon and 6 p.m. Pacific time.

You gotta answer 12 trivia questions correctly -- 10 seconds on the clock for each one.

The questions start off easy -- like which one of these is often found on the dinner table? Gravy boat. Cruise ship or fishing vessel.

And then -- they get tough.

"These are not Goo-gable answers," says KCAL9 Assignment Editor Mark Liu, normally a font of trivia knowledge.

Watch a few CBS staffers try to answer "The author of 'Matilda' also wrote the screenplay for a film in what series? James Bond. Planet of the Apes. Muppet movies.

"Planet of the Apes" maybe? Wrong!

By Question 7, CBS staffers were all out.

All-time winners are listed on the app's leader board, including Casey Donahue.

Tell me how much you won? "I won $6,000 playing HQ Trivia on my phone," he said.

The 30-year-old freelance filmmaker in Los Angeles hit the jackpot on Christmas Eve.

"My parents didn't fully understand what was happening Dad didn't really believe  it until they gave me the money," he said.

Donahue in particular appreciates the money payout for not a lot of work. A little 12-minute investment just netted him 6,000 bucks.

Sometimes more than a million people play at a time and split jackpots.

Advice? "Read the questions carefully because they could be worded to throw you off," he said.

Move over "Jeopardy!, HQ Trivia is here.

So how did Casey spend his winnings? He bought a cowboy hat.

"The rest is in the bank?" Cruz asked . "The rest is in the bank," he said.

The money is staying in the bank until he figures out how much tax he owes.

On Sunday, the jackpot jumps to $15,000 and players will have to answer 15 questions instead of 12.

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