Disney Hotel Guests Targeted By Scam Artist

[MercyMe]

Disney Hotel Guests Targeted By Scam Artist

POSTED: 12:28 am EST February 28, 2008
UPDATED: 12:44 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.

 

[donaldndaisy]

Oh, that sucks I don't understand what makes someone rip off another person. This is why, there is very little to no trust in the world.

 

[goofy4tink]

It may be time for Disney to not give your room number out loud....perhaps they should start just writing it down. It's a shame these things happen, but in today's world you just can't be too safe.

 

[HonnyDipp]

So sad, even at Disneyworld on vacation, you can't let you guard down

 

[Lucky'sMom]

You can really see how someone could fall for this, too. First of all, you're at Disney! I think we all feel some sense of protectedness there (even though it's more imagined than real). And secondly, many of us hear about these special deals guests get sometimes once they are there. Like the bounceback offers, etc. So, I could see how many people would not be as suspicious as they would be at home. I hope since the scam used the guests' credit cards, that they will be covered from theft.

 

[marvin12]

This is just awful. You just have to try to remember that there are bad people everywhere, even in the happiest place on earth.

 

[eliza61]

This happen to me in NYC! almost identical. A gentlemen called my room claiming to be from hotel concierge and said they had Lion King tickets at an unbelievably low price. He would need my cc to order them. The red flag was the "wait 1 day to pick them up at the desk part". #1 the theater was just around the corner and #2 I thought it only takes 2 minutes to get your eticket when you order on line. Why would it take 24 hours for concierge to get them. I politely said no thanks and then called the hotel security.

Do you ever think these guys could make a pretty good living if they worked as hard at a honest job?

 

[HonnyDipp]

If they ask for your SS or CC numbers that should always be the immediate red flag!!!

 

[fla4fun]

When I was at BWV last month, there were prominent notices by both telephones warning guests that this scam was going on and stating that CM's would never call and ask for cc info over the phone. You would be asked to go to the front desk if there was an issue. So I feel Disney is doing their part as far as notifying guests. A little common sense on the part of the guests wouldn't hurt either. Never, ever, ever, give your cc number or ssn to anyone unless YOU initiate the call - whether on vacation, at home, at work, wherever.

As far as the pp who said Disney shouldn't give you your room number out loud, they haven't given me mine out loud for some time, and it really wouldn't matter. During the day, anyone can roam the halls of the resorts and jot down room numbers. You can even get room numbers off the Internet, from the resort maps. Then they can just randomly phone room numbers until they find someone who's gullible. However, since the article mentions that the person calling knew her name, I would also wonder if it's an inside job. It only takes one bad CM out of the thousands who work there, to perpetrate a crime like this.

I would like to know if the calls are coming through the Disney switchboards or if they are being done on house phones. Any time my family has called, and gone through the switchboard, they have been asked the name of the guest they are trying to contact. But if someone was using a house phone, they just dial 7 and a room number, and they're in business. Perhaps they need to restrict access to the house phones - maybe requiring a pin that you get at check in or something - and see if that helps reduce the problem. If it's an outsider, it might. If it's an insider, well, it wouldn't.

 

[mickeybrat]

awful....awful stuff.
How are they getting into the resort, with gated security? Don't they need to show ID?

 

[G8r4evr]

Well that stinks =(

 

[MsStinkerBelle]

My sister told me about it this morning. Absolutely awful to have something like this happen on vacation but it's like a friend of mine told me, "scam artists are never on vacation".

 

[dwmlaf]

"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"

The article never said Disney was saying the room numbers out loud

 

[disnut8]

It may be time for Disney to not give your room number out loud....perhaps they should start just writing it down. It's a shame these things happen, but in today's world you just can't be too safe.

Disney doesn't give out room numbers out loud. I don't think they ever did. My gosh, you can't even call a Disney resort and ask to be connected to so-and-so's room with having a room number. The article said the person was listening to conversations in the lobby, not hearing Disney give out room numbers. It's fairly simple. I know on more than one occassion, we've been walking down the hall and one of us has said "now what was our room number again?"

As for how someone could get into the hotel lobby, that is fairly simple too. Think about the Epcot resorts. Just walk out the International Gateway or take a boat from the Studios and there you go. Magic Kingdom resorts, take the monorail or a boat and there you go. Get on a bus from a park and there you go.

Before anyone goes overboard and starts demanding that Disney basically lock downit's resorts, remember that this is ONE incident. And it could have happened anywhere.

Also remember that if you are making reservations of any kind from your work phone and you give out your credit card number, there are lots of cubemates that could be overhearing everything. Do that from your own home. Disney or not.

 

[Checkers]

Bottom line, as stated before, never give out your credit card# or SS# unless you have initiated the call and there is reason to do so. Sounds like Disney is on top of the situation.

 

[Disney Fool]

There was a news item on the news here in Boston about a woman who was called and told she had won the "Year of A Million Dreams" sweepstakes. And all he needed to complete everything was her credit card number. And she gave it. Be careful. Have your wits about you. Never, ever voluntarily give any information to anyone you didn't initiate. My credit card company called once to offer me some special deal and after they finished, they asked for my information, address, social security number, etc. Before I answered, I thought, wait a minute! They already have what they need. That's how they contacted me. I refused to give any info and they hung up!

 

[deej696]

It may be time for Disney to not give your room number out loud....perhaps they should start just writing it down. It's a shame these things happen, but in today's world you just can't be too safe.

This is usually standard operating procedure at all hotels, not just Disney, but unforunately it does not always get followed. Having been in the business, it is my ultimate pet peeve when a desk agent says my room # out loud. When AAA does their rating of hotels, one of the first requirements at c/i is that the number be written down. Major no no and points off if the agent says it aloud. While I am sure whoever this is has probably overheard guest conversations in the lobby, I would think it might be harder to get the last name in those situations, as how often do you refer to family by last name? My theory is they have scoped out some agents that dont follow the procedure, thus enabling them to get the guests first and last name and room number in one shot.

Long story short, keep your info as secure as possible

 

[n2mm]

Yes this is true. We were staying at the AKV Jan. 26-Feb3 and in the rooms (we changed rooms befor and after the cruise) there was a letter on the table warning guest about the scams going on and telling folks not to give out cc information. I wondered why they were warning us, so obviously some guest got caught up in it. Thanks for posting this warning.