On April 9, 2004, a notorious scam occurred at a McDonald’s in Washington, Kentucky. A man pretending to be a police officer called the assistant manager, Donna Summers, and falsely claimed that a white female employee had stolen money from a customer. Shockingly, Summers believed the man without question.
Summers immediately thought of Louise Ogborn, a part-time employee, and asked the caller, “Are you talking about Louise?” The caller assured her he would take responsibility, claiming that the employee might attempt to flee. Following his instructions, Summers detained Louise in the office. The caller then instructed Summers to strip Louise down to her apron, and to call someone who could assist with the investigation. Summers called her fiancé, Walter Nix.
When Nix arrived, the caller directed him to make Louise strip completely, perform humiliating tasks like dancing naked and jumping jacks, and engage in increasingly bizarre and abusive acts. Despite Louise’s pleas and tears, Walter complied, believing the caller was a real police officer.
The ordeal only ended when maintenance worker Thomas Simms realized it was a prank call.
“Victims and Perpetrators of the Fake Cop Incident at McDonald’s”
The mastermind behind this was David R. Stewart, a father of five who had previously worked as a mall security guard and sheriff’s deputy. Investigations revealed that Stewart had made similar prank calls to other businesses like Taco Bell and Applebee’s, leading to similar humiliations. These calls had been ongoing since 1982, totaling nine incidents. However, all calls were made from payphones, and no witnesses could identify Stewart. His lawyer successfully argued that Stewart lacked the persuasive skills to commit such crimes, resulting in his acquittal.
The incident led to a civil lawsuit between Louise Ogborn and Stewart. Stewart called Ogborn later, saying, “I’m not responsible, but I feel sorry for you. I lost my car and job too.”
Donna Summers and Walter Nix broke off their engagement. Nix was sentenced to five years in prison for unlawful imprisonment and sexual assault. Summers received a one-year sentence for misdemeanor charges and unlawful imprisonment, was fired from McDonald’s, and later sued McDonald’s for $50 million, claiming they failed to warn employees about the prank calls. She was awarded $1.1 million.
Louise Ogborn, deeply traumatized by the incident, underwent multiple psychiatric treatments and took antidepressants. She sued McDonald’s for $200 million, arguing that the company failed to take adequate measures despite previous similar incidents. She was awarded $6.1 million.
“The Incident as a Film: Compliance”
In 2012, the incident was adapted into the film “Compliance.” Additionally, an episode of “Law & Order: SVU” was inspired by this case. The incident starkly illustrates the dangers of blind obedience to authority, emphasizing the importance of maintaining rational judgment in such situations.
“Obedience to Authority Experiments”
To understand this incident better, the EBS program “The Two Faces of Human Nature” conducted experiments on obedience to authority.
“Experiment 1: Ridiculous Orders from a Doctor”
In the first experiment, participants were told they would undergo an eye exam and were taken into a room with a doctor. Initially, the doctor asked eye-related questions, but gradually, the demands became strange, such as asking participants to take off their shoes and do jumping jacks. Surprisingly, most participants complied without objection.
“Experiment 2: Absurd Requests from Fake Police”
The second experiment took place in the middle of a street, where two actors posing as police officers instructed passersby to pick up trash, perform physical exercises, and do push-ups. Again, most people complied without significant protest.
“Lessons from the McDonald’s Fake Cop Incident”
How would you have responded if you received that call at McDonald’s? Would you have recognized it as a prank and called the real police, or would you have followed the fake officer’s orders? Interestingly, since this incident, there have been about 70 similar cases across the United States.
“Similarity to Voice Phishing”
Modern voice phishing scams employ similar psychological tactics, with scammers often posing as police officers or prosecutors. People tend to perceive these authorities as credible, making them more likely to comply.
Understanding our inherent tendency to obey authority figures can help us stay rational and cautious in potentially deceptive situations.