FAST FOOD FRAUDSTER

JACOBSON STOLE $24 MILLION BY RIGGING THE MCDONALD'S MONOPOLY GAME

- Ruth McCarthy

We’ve all come across a cheater while playing board games, but no-one has gotten away with manipulation quite like Jerome ‘Jerry’ Jacobson.

Between 1989 and 2001, the scammer rigged the McDonald’s Monopoly game and pocketed $24 million dollars.

His swindle ended when an anonymous tip-off to the FBI led to an investigation and the fast-food fraudster was finally busted. It’s since gone down as one of the greatest heists in history, even warranting the 2020 true-crime docuseries McMillion$.

The promotional game was designed to give people the chance to win prizes ranging from a free Macca’s meal to cars, boats and up to $1 million in cash!

When customers bought food, they received two coloured stickers that mirrored properties from the board game. Matching sets earned a prize.

However, it turned out, not a single ‘winner’ in the US was legitimate!

The sham – orchestrated by ex-cop Jacobson – was plain and simple.