Beware: Disney Hotel Guests Targeted By Scam Artist

[GrumpyFan]

This was reported on several Orlando area news outlets.


From: Local6.com
Disney Hotel Guests Targeted By Scam Artist
POSTED: 12:28 am EST February 28, 2008
UPDATED: 9:44 am EST February 28, 2008

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Police are searching for a scam artist who has conned Disney hotel guests out of hundreds of dollars in recent weeks, Local 6 has learned.

Sheriff's deputies said they believe a con man is hanging out in a hotel lobby on Disney property, listening in on conversations and then making a phone call to the victim's room to scam them.
At least nine guests have been targeted, officials said.

Massachusetts resident Catherine Maybie said she checked into the Polynesian Resort on Jan. 17 and was soon contacted by a person offering a great deal.

"We're in the room and someone calls us and said they had a deal for us," Maybie said. "For $10 a person, (we) could go to the Polynesian Luau or Hoopie-Doo Review (shows)."

Maybie said the man knew her name and room number so she offered to pay.
"It was stupid of me," Maybie said. "I should have said, 'You already have my credit card number.' But I gave him my credit card again."

The man told Maybie to wait 24 hours before picking up her tickets at the front desk.

She said when she went to pick up the tickets, they did not exist. Soon after, Maybie found $1,500 worth of fraudulent charges on her credit card.

Disney officials said cards have been placed next to the phones in rooms to remind guests to protect their credit card information and that cast members will never call them asking for their credit card numbers.


Just goes to show that regardless of where you are, even on vacation at the Happiest Place on Earth, you still need to keep your guard up.

[Aurora]

It also means this man was able to drive onto the grounds and park without a valid ID or parking permit, or walk from somewhere else. So this should also be a way to raise awareness for those who walk around the grounds of secluded spots in resorts such as POR or SSR to be aware of your surroundings, because security measures are not foolproof.

[GrumpyFan]

It said they "believe he was hanging out in a hotel lobby", that's not necessarily a statement of fact. He could've easily called from off-property. Besides, he could've also driven on property, parked at Downtown Disney, caught a bus to a hotel, hung out for a while and found his victim(s).

I'm thinking he could've just called different rooms in different hotel rooms at random until he got someone gullible.

I find it sad though, now that WDW is so popular, it just means that the criminals are figuring it out too. Scams like this to rip off people, ticketing scams, fastpass scams and even EMH bands being counterfeited, it's just kinda sad that the ugly parts of the outside world are invading the magic more and more. The bad news in all this will surely mean tighter security measures and more hassle for the average tourist trying to enjoy their vacation.

[Piglet822]

It also means this man was able to drive onto the grounds and park without a valid ID or parking permit, or walk from somewhere else. So this should also be a way to raise awareness for those who walk around the grounds of secluded spots in resorts such as POR or SSR to be aware of your surroundings, because security measures are not foolproof.

This was my thought as well but there is no way of knowing if he was actually in the lobby.
There are also off property hotels that offer shuttles to the parks.
There's just no way of knowing yet who this person is or how they got guest information.
It's very scary and it saddens me that there are people that can actually set out to take what's not theirs to begin with.
Sorry to wander a bit but I was taken for $2500 by a "friend" who to this day denies any wrongdoing. People like this just really make me angry :mad:

[MickeyChick]

You'd think someone at the Orlando Sentinel would know it's the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue, not the Hoopie Do.

[bleukarma]

That's just horrible. What a way to put a damper on your vacation! :(

[Polynesian Dweller]

It is unfortunate when people have their trip upset by an event like this. It is also unfortunate that this is neither a unique event nor new. Tourists have been the target for scammers and thieves since the beginning of tourism.

Tourists are relatively easy and very attractive targets since they have lots of money, tend to have their guard down because they are on vacation, and are out of their normal territory and don't have the same level of knowledge about how things work that they would at home. In my years in the tourist industry we tried to warn people to keep their guard up but we always had a few incidents like this. The best advice, if you wouldn't do something like give out your card # without checking at home don't do it on vacation and go against your nature and be a bit suspicious if something sound like a great deal.

[JPL]

To me as troublesome as this maybe I would always question something like this. One simple saying comes to mind in this case, If a deal seems too good to be true it probably isn't.
The reasons scams like this persist is because they work. It doesn't surprise me that this would happen at WDW since this type of scam can be found all over the world in every tourist destination why would WDW be any different. Locals in every toursist destination see the tourists as suckers plain and simple.

[shadowden]

...that this kind of thing has to happen when you're trying to escape the madness of the real world.

I've been the victim of identity fraud. Had an ATT MC once, and began noticing large charges for air fare and travel throughout England and Europe. When I called MC and told them it could not be me, especially since I don't have a passport, they still argued with me. Took months to get things straightened out.

I really feel for those unfortunate souls who got mislead.

[#1donaldfan]

That's not good.....!!

[brownie]

Don't discount the police's belief that the person hangs out in the lobby too much; Disney probably can track down where the phone call came from (at least whether it was from an internal or external phone).

[Disneyatic]

I got an email from Magical Journeys a month or so ago detailing this scam and telling people to beware. I guess it happened to one of their clients and she told them about it and they were spreading the word.

Very scary to think about someone skulking around the lobby and listening to you checking in so that they can use that information to try to extort you later!

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

like this. One simple saying comes to mind in this case, If a deal seems too good to be true it probably isn't.

the saying is actually if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. (too good to be true that is).
And unfortunately, it would be impossible to tell if someone did or didn't belong in a hotel lobby unless you noticed them hanging around a lot. And to get to a hotel, all they would have to do is get to one of the parks and then take the Disney transportation too and from their original location.

[MinnieMommie]

I get the part about not giving credit card information overe the phone and that if something seems too good is probably is. I also get how just about anyone can go into a hotel lobby. What I don't get is how the scammer had the scamees name and room number. That is disconcerting. :(

[Polynesian Dweller]

I get the part about not giving credit card information overe the phone and that if something seems too good is probably is. I also get how just about anyone can go into a hotel lobby. What I don't get is how the scammer had the scamees name and room number. That is disconcerting. :(
Easy, the scammer listens for the guest's name as they check-in. The guest has to give it to the CM at check-in so the hotel knows who you are and the CM will address them back with their name as a courtesy. Then, the scammer over hears the room number when the CM tells them what room they are in. A lot of hotels will simply point out your room number on the key holder as they write the number there to not give that info away. But, in my hotelier experience, most people say it out loud as they walk away. You know the conversation, 'What room do we have?" '1234 on the first floor'.

So, final step, pick up a courtesy phone and ask for the Smiths in Room 1234 or dial 1234 and see if that connects.

Not hard to do and hard to provide any security about. None of it works of course if you refuse to give your card number over the phone and remember that the hotel already has a card number and won't ask you again for it.

[Flower]

Don't discount the police's belief that the person hangs out in the lobby too much; Disney probably can track down where the phone call came from (at least whether it was from an internal or external phone).

From working police 9-1-1 for several years, it is actually difficult to trace calls that come in to large corporations with many phone lines, which Disney obviously has. You need to know a trunk line, etc and even then it becomes difficult to verify the calls origination.

The suspect could possibly be a Disney Employee who has access to room numbers & guest names, just not to their credit card number.

[brownie]

From working police 9-1-1 for several years, it is actually difficult to trace calls that come in to large corporations with many phone lines, which Disney obviously has. You need to know a trunk line, etc and even then it becomes difficult to verify the calls origination.

The suspect could possibly be a Disney Employee who has access to room numbers & guest names, just not to their credit card number.

Disney probably has a system already in place. They know when calls are made from a hotel room, since they charge you for any of the outside calls. When I worked for Meijer back in the 1990's, we could have a report generated on our internal phones that would tell us incoming and outgoing calls, the numbers dialed (and sometimes the numbers incoming) and how long the calls were.

If these calls were made from a lobby phone, they probably could easily find that out.

[TheRustyScupper]

1) This is a scam that is VERY EASY to pull off.
2) CM's are taught to say the guest's name at least 3-times.
3) CM's are even graded on well they do this.
4) Most CM's actually say the room number and give directions to the room.
5) Even if the CM doesn't say the number, guests often repeat it.
6) Plus, it is written is LARGE numbers on the resort map.
7) Standing anywhere near a guest, you easy overhear
. . . check-in guest first and last name
. . . first and last name of every person in the room
. . . age of all children in the room
. . . the guest's room number (from guest or CM)
. . . plans of when the guest might not be in the room *

* date/time of HDDR, arrangements for meal times/locations, special events (like sleigh rides)

NOTE: Crooks can easily gain access to resort lobbies and acquire a wealth (no pun intended) of guest information.If they pick Deluxe Resorts, there are enough lobby activities that their lurking would not be noticed, like they would be noticed hanging around an All Stars lobby.

[bouncer]

Not to be too negative here but wouldn't a few clues be:
a) they called your room (haven't gotten any calls in my room- mickey, stitch, room svc don't count)
b) $10 for tickets to Luau or HDD!?!?! We all know that event tickets are premium prices. Is there anything Disney sells for less than $20??
c) they asked for a credit card ## ???!!!

Yes, some information can be obtained but these indivduals allowed themselves to be used. Sounds like a little analysis should have taken place first.

Around here there are people cold calling banking customers telling them that their ATM card is about to expire. "Please call back our 800# with the card number to renew your service." Unfortunately for them, they cold called the President of the Bank and put an end to their scam.
Yes, there are "bad guys" everywhere, even in Disney World.:(

[Ed]

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A suspect was named Friday by police after dozens of Disney guests were ripped off in their own hotel rooms. The accused scam artist is a former Disney employee who was allegedly stealing credit card numbers by stalking and sweet-talking park guests.

It isn't the first time 23-year-old Jason MacLaren has been caught doing the same thing. This time, investigators say he conned 45 victims out of $30,000, but he was caught two years ago doing the same thing at Disney and then disappeared.

Orange County detectives said, when the same thing started happening again, it didn't take them long to focus on MacLaren.

St. Petersburg area tourist Linda Clark thought it was her 'year of a million dreams' when a nice man with a professional demeanor called her Polynesian Resort hotel room last month and offered her deeply discounted tickets for the "Hoop Te Do Revue." "I thought, gee, we hit the mother lode," she said.

Friday, Orange County detectives said 23-year-old con man Jason MacLaren was calling her. They say MacLaren gave guests the impression he was a Disney employee, because he profiled them and their room numbers.

"He was able to identify the make up of a party, a wife, husband and two kids, and he'd use that to his benefit on the phone. 'We have you down for a reservation for you, your husband and two kids,'" explained Detective Bryan Villella, Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators said they have surveillance video of MacLaren calling guests from the house phones of the Polynesian Resort, Pop Century, Wilderness Lodge and three others, each time duping guests into buying what they thought were discounted dinners or show tickets using their credit cards.

But the guests weren't actually buying anything, as Linda Clark soon found out. Detectives said, instead, MacLaren he used their credit card numbers to buy attraction and even circus tickets and then turned around and sold them for cash at deep discount prices to other tourists.

Sometimes he kept some of tickets for himself.

"He likes Disney. He's gone since he was a kid. It's just a place he likes to go," Villella said.

Detectives said MacLaren was arrested in Brevard County after he was stopped for a traffic violation. They said he is cooperating with them.

Disney has made good on the tickets that its guests were duped into buying and posted warnings in the rooms for the guests not to give out their credit card numbers.

[GrumpyFan]

Glad to see they caught this guy. But, people should still be aware of such incidents, and not let their guard down just because they're at Disney.