Fascinating 6 part documentary coming up on HBO how former head of security for McDonald's promotions had stole the winning game pieces and sold them on open market for a piece of the winnings. He was accompanied by a female auditor who he traveled with. They were on their way to factory where they affixed the pieces to drinking cups. When the security head was at the airport he would go into bathroom and switch the pieces keeping the winning pieces for himself and replace them with common pieces. The female auditor could never see what he was doing. From 1989-2001 there were no legitimate winners of the 6-7 figure cash prizes.
In the second episode the wife of Jerry Columbo who is part of the Columbo crime family in New York claimed they also rigged a Publishers Clearing House winner. I find it hard to believe as that contest was a drawing not a contest where game pieces can be absconded. But who really knows. The mob is able to infiltrate every business so why not the security firm who runs Publishers Clearing House. It's a drawing but no one knows how it really works. The envelopes are scanned and supposedly a winner is picked by a computer from all those coded numbers on the return envelopes. Remember how during the Super Bowl they would show the van pulling up to the winners house. Maybe will find out years from now it they were friends of distant relatives of the Columbo family.
It is being dragged out but it is very enjoyable. How about that million dollar winner in the second episode who was sweating profusely as they filmed the promotional spot. He was trying to make up how he found the game piece and contacted a lawyer right on the spot. It was like the scene in Broadcast News where Albert Brooks is doing the weekend anchor report and was sweating so much that viewers thought he was having a heart attack. It was the best scene in the entire movie.
In case someone wants to read the summary of the fiasco instead of watching the HBO series:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-an-ex-cop-rigged-mcdonalds-monopoly-game-and-stole-millions
https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-an-ex-cop-rigged-mcdonalds-monopoly-game-and-stole-millions
