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American Morning

McDonald's Not Guilty, But Does Lose Face

Aired August 22, 2001 - 11:10   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The FBI is not done yet with this super-size scam that everyone is talking about today, they're looking to make more arrests.

Agents have already -- they already have eight people in custody, and they say that these folks cheated McDonald's customers out of millions of dollars worth of game prizes. The FBI says an employee with McDonald's contractor, it was a contractor for McDonald's, gave the winning game pieces to his friends and business associates.

The FBI says that McDonald's is not at fault here, but try to tell that to a fast food contest junkie. Our Anne McDermott says some folks are a wee bit upset.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADRIENNE GUSTER, L.A. RESIDENT: Y'all are some liars. McDonald's, y'all are some liars. Y'all messed up.

ANNE MCDERMOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): OK, some are taking this hard -- these two Los Angeles sisters, for example.

But how about this French tourist?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (speaking in French)

MCDERMOTT: Translation?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He thinks it's totally rotten.

MCDERMOTT: And some kids are crushed.

GABRIEL LERES, JR. HIGH STUDENT: They shouldn't be ripping off people because we're only kids. Yes.

MCDERMOTT: And this air-conditioning repairman?

EUGENE ROYTSHTEYN, AIR CONDITIONING TECHNICIAN: It's unbelievable. I mean, it's a big corporation. I don't understand.

MCDERMOTT: They do know McDonald's people aren't to blame, but they played the games, they dreamed of the diamonds they'd win, the places they'd see. And in the case of this computer expert, it was all about the money. XUTCHELL ASUNCION, COMPUTER OPERATOR: The million dollars! But of course, never got it.

MCDERMOTT: Did you spend money trying to win?

GUSTER: Yes, I spent about $200 one summer and I didn't win anything. I played every day. I bought, like, three Big Macs a day. I didn't win anything, so I just gave up on it.

MCDERMOTT: These 9th graders did too, but that's because they figured even if it wasn't rigged, they weren't going to win.

MAGGIE BRIONES, 9th GRADER: I stopped peeling off the little stamps a long time ago.

MCDERMOTT: And many here said they're going to keep buying Big Macs. Besides, the company's starting a new giveaway, and it'll all be on the up and up.

GUSTER: Mm-hmm.

MCDERMOTT: Now, that's what's known as taking a wait-and-see attitude.

Anne McDermott, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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