We spoke with Jeff Maysh with The Daily Beast who wrote this amazing article about this ex-cop that stole $24 million in McDonald's Monopoly instant winners.
You remember that game? We used to play all the time. Below is a commercial for the game.
It was 1987 and McDonald's came out with the game where you collect game pieces that are attached to french fries packaging, cups and you could also find them as inserts in magazines.
The prizes weren't shabby either. We are talking a chance to win super nice vacations, cars...nice cars, and $1 million in cash - WHAT?!
HOLD ON GANG
Yes, that would've been great- BUT according to Jeff's article, that did not happen.
For 12 years ex-cop Jerome Jacobson who worked security at the business that printed the game pieces. It was Jacobson's job to take the printed "INSTANT WINNERS" tickets to McDonald’s packaging factories across the country.
So the scheme began, that Jacobson's friends and relatives would get others to accept the winning tickets and take a cut of the winnings.
THE MC-STING
- The jig was up in 2001 when the FBI pulled off a sting operation.
- Jacobson's was sentenced to 37 months and jail and was stripped of all his belongings that was purchased with monopoly money. He is 76 years old today and in poor health living in Georgia
You have to read Jeff's article, its a great read on how this scam was pulled off for so long. HERE