1
The Moral Evaluation of the McDonald's Monopoly Fraud
Student
Institution
Course
Instructor
Date
2
The Moral Evaluation of the McDonald's Monopoly Fraud
The McDonald's Monopoly fraud case highlights moral dilemmas about the moral
wrongdoing of the offenders and the morality of robbing businesses to fund life-saving research,
especially for the benefit of society and children. Utilitarianism, a consequentialist moral theory,
will be used in this discussion to examine whether the criminals' fraudulent activities were
morally right or immoral.
Utilitarianism and the Perpetrators' Moral Wrongdoing
According to utilitarianism, decisions should be made based on how they will affect
others and how happy or well-off they would make society whole. This idea holds that a deed is
morally good if it maximizes value or happiness for as many individuals as possible. On the
other hand, if a behavior reduces general happiness or results in injury, it is ethically wrong. The
McDonald's Monopoly fraud perpetrators engaged in dishonest behavior and stole winning game
pieces valued at millions of dollars. They violated the trust and caused financial losses for
McDonald's and participants in the game who were potential consumers (Ali et al., 2022). This
fraud and theft harmed individuals and a firm, compromising the principles of justice and
honesty. The money taken was subsequently given to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. It
recognized charity works to save the lives of kids suffering from life-threatening illnesses. Even
though the stolen money was put to good use, it is vital to consider the full effects of the
offenders' conduct.
Utilitarian Analysis of the Consequences
From a utilitarian perspective, we must consider the net utility produced by fraudulent
activity. On the one hand, the money taken was used for research that could have saved lives and
3
helped a lot of kids and their families. It is a result that maximizes general well-being. However,
it is important to understand that sometimes, aims do not justify means. The offenders' conduct
involved dishonesty, deceit, and a breach of moral standards. The fairness and equal opportunity
for all players were undermined by the McDonald's Monopoly game's weakened trust and
integrity (Wagner-Tsukamoto., 2019). This detrimental affects societal values and confidence in
similar marketing initiatives. Additionally, the stolen money can have been obtained through
ethical means like business sponsorships or charitable gifts. The offenders disregard the law and
other people's rights by turning to thievery. Such behaviors may have wider societal
repercussions, weakening trust in institutions and fostering a dishonest culture.
It becomes clear that the McDonald's Monopoly scam perpetrators committed moral
violations when utilitarianism is used as a moral framework. Even though their acts helped St.
Jude's Children's Hospital, the effects included financial losses, trust issues, and a decline in
societal values. In assessing moral conduct, utilitarianism emphasizes the significance of
considering both the methods and the ends. Fraudulent actions are immoral because the unethical
methods used in this situation outweigh the prospective rewards.
References
4
Ali, T., Buergelt, P. T., Maypilama, E. L., Paton, D., Smith, J. A., & Jehan, N. (2022). The
synergy of systems theory and symbolic interactionism: a passageway for non-Indigenous
researchers that facilitates better understanding Indigenous worldviews and knowledge.
International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 25(2), 197-212:
doi/full/10.1080/13645579.2021.1876300
Wagner-Tsukamoto, S. (2019). In search of ethics: from Carroll to integrative CSR
economics. Social Responsibility Journal, 15(4), 469-491: doi/10.1108/SRJ-09-20170188/full/html