Unveiling the Intricate Web of Crime Behind the Fast Food Game
Recently, HBO launched the initial episode of a fascinating documentary series named McMillions. This six-part series delves deep into the notorious McDonald’s Monopoly contest and uncovers the vast sums of money that were deceitfully taken, lost, and extorted during this scheme.
Between 1987 and 2001, McDonald’s conducted its Monopoly contest regularly by placing game pieces on their boxes of fries, burgers, and drinks. Customers had the chance to peel off the pieces and potentially win prizes ranging from small items like a free drink to a grand prize of $1 million. However, rather than purely relying on luck, some winners actually obtained their winning pieces through the manipulative strategies orchestrated by a criminal network led by Jerome Jacobson. Jacobson, a former police officer, masterminded a smuggling operation to seize and distribute winning tickets while sporadically passing off a winning ticket to an unsuspecting individual to avoid detection. Through these illicit activities, the crime ring managed to acquire over $24 million in unlawful prize money. It wasn’t until 2001 when rookie FBI agent Doug Mathews caught wind of a minor clue that eventually led him and his team to unravel a massive criminal operation.
The initial episode of McMillions debuted this week and subsequent episodes are set to air every Monday at 10 PM Eastern time.
