Hotel pranksters---beware on your upcoming trip

[cmskok]

I just finished watching the Today Show. Apparently, there are some folks that have dedided to play jokes on hotel guests in the middle of the night.

Here is what they do:

You get a phone call while you are asleep and they state that the hotel has a gas leak and theat you must break out the window, or break a sprinkler, or set off the fire alarm. Apparently they are very convincing, saying that they are the hotel's manager. Apparently, one man (a sheriff's deputy, no less) was on vacation with his family, broke out the window, threw the mattresses out and was going to toss out his kids...until he was stopped by the REAL hotel management..

Please pass this info on to anyone that you know may be going on vacation. (They filmed the story in Orlando, leading me to believe that Orlando is a targeted city.) If you ever get a phone call from "hotel management" hang up and call the front desk yourself..It is amazing what people will do for a laugh..

p.s. Apparently, these folks have recorded themselves and posted what they have done on youtube, in case you do not believe me.

Have a SAFE vacation!

 

[WDWKOOK]

I just finished watching the Today Show. Apparently, there are some folks that have dedided to play jokes on hotel guests in the middle of the night.

Here is what they do:

You get a phone call while you are asleep and they state that the hotel has a gas leak and theat you must break out the window, or break a sprinkler, or set off the fire alarm. Apparently they are very convincing, saying that they are the hotel's manager. Apparently, one man (a sheriff's deputy, no less) was on vacation with his family, broke out the window, threw the mattresses out and was going to toss out his kids...until he was stopped by the REAL hotel management..

Please pass this info on to anyone that you know may be going on vacation. (They filmed the story in Orlando, leading me to believe that Orlando is a targeted city.) If you ever get a phone call from "hotel management" hang up and call the front desk yourself..It is amazing what people will do for a laugh..

p.s. Apparently, these folks have recorded themselves and posted what they have done on youtube, in case you do not believe me.

Have a SAFE vacation!

Thank you.

I just wanted to mention that when you make a call "to the front desk" of your WDW resort, you are actually calling a call center in another part of FL. They do, however, have the ability to connect you to the actual hotel itself, if they think it's warranted.

 

[Kay1]

Well, thanks for the warning. On a somewhat similar note, when you get inside your hotel room check the alarm clock. I'm not sure whether it was done by pranksters or not, but we've been woken up in the middle of the night by a blaring alarm, and it just happened to my b-i-l and s-i-l.

Not very pleasant.

 

[NALA 24]

Good advice. We have been awakened very early by alarm clocks in hotel rooms.

 

[DisneyWisher]

Thanks for the info. What makes it worse is that Disney puts your name on the car parking pass. I always fold mine over to hide my name. Seems like a violation of privacy to me. They are giving anyone walking by a car the owner's name. They could just go over to a house phone and ask for Jane Doe's room, they connect them and they could easily pretend to be part of management and ask for personal information and possibly ask for another credit card because the one that was used at check in didn't go through properly. Not to mention trying to lure you from your room, ugh I wish Disney would stop putting Guest's names on the parking passes.

 

[TinaMcTeer]

yes please check the alarm, I was staying at a hotel once and the alarm in the room next to me was going off. It took the hotel security two hours to turn it off. The guy was passed out after a night full of drinking and it never woke him up. I was not happy!!!!

 

[Tissa]

Yes I saw that too. I wonder if the guest had to pay for the broken window?

 

[CarolA]

I just finished watching the Today Show. Apparently, there are some folks that have dedided to play jokes on hotel guests in the middle of the night.

Here is what they do:

You get a phone call while you are asleep and they state that the hotel has a gas leak and theat you must break out the window, or break a sprinkler, or set off the fire alarm. Apparently they are very convincing, saying that they are the hotel's manager. Apparently, one man (a sheriff's deputy, no less) was on vacation with his family, broke out the window, threw the mattresses out and was going to toss out his kids...until he was stopped by the REAL hotel management..

Please pass this info on to anyone that you know may be going on vacation. (They filmed the story in Orlando, leading me to believe that Orlando is a targeted city.) If you ever get a phone call from "hotel management" hang up and call the front desk yourself..It is amazing what people will do for a laugh..

p.s. Apparently, these folks have recorded themselves and posted what they have done on youtube, in case you do not believe me.

Have a SAFE vacation!

And we believe these lines?

Seriously, you trash a hotel room WHILE recording it to 'save your life' Hmm..

How about "we trash a hotel room and make a video for youtube and then make up this story since we need an excuse"??????????

 

[mrFDNY]

Hi gang,

Just wanted to point out another that has happened here in nyc hotels. I'm sure it's happen in other states as well. The fire alarm will sound, someone on your floor who is dressed in a nice suit will I.D. himself as hotel employee and advise all guest to leave the hotel, and to leave your room open. Usually by moving the security bar between the door and the frame. Once they see you leave they go into the room and steal what ever is left out. This usally happens very late at night. These thiefs have gone as far as forging a hotel name tag, so they look like real hotel employees.

If the alarm sounds, DO NOT IGNORE IT! If told to leave, then leave. Shut and lock your door, first off if there is really a fire a shut door will stop the fire from spreading. Next trust me, if me and my guys in the FDNY need to get into a room, a locked door has never stopped us before, we have ways of making entry into a locked room.

 

[disnywd]

Thank you.

I just wanted to mention that when you make a call "to the front desk" of your WDW resort, you are actually calling a call center in another part of FL. They do, however, have the ability to connect you to the actual hotel itself, if they think it's warranted.

That is very interesting. I never knew that. Thanks for sharing!

 

[cmskok]

And we believe these lines?

Seriously, you trash a hotel room WHILE recording it to 'save your life' Hmm..

How about "we trash a hotel room and make a video for youtube and then make up this story since we need an excuse"??????????

I think you misunderstood...the pranksters are recording the conversation while the victims are knocking out the windows....it is muffled but you could definitely hear the families on the other end panciking while the pranksters were laughing...it was shameful...

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

Thanks for the info. What makes it worse is that Disney puts your name on the car parking pass. I always fold mine over to hide my name. Seems like a violation of privacy to me. They are giving anyone walking by a car the owner's name. They could just go over to a house phone and ask for Jane Doe's room, they connect them and they could easily pretend to be part of management and ask for personal information and possibly ask for another credit card because the one that was used at check in didn't go through properly. Not to mention trying to lure you from your room, ugh I wish Disney would stop putting Guest's names on the parking passes.

I thought whenever you call a WDW Resort asking to speak with a guest the Cast Member always asks what their room number is? So despite having the guests name on their parking pass if someone doesn't know their room number I don't think that's as bad as you might think.

 

[Terk-1]

Yes I saw that too. I wonder if the guest had to pay for the broken window?

I googled this and found the story. It said that the prank cost the hotel about $5000, but that the couple was not charged.

Why must people be so stupid?

 

[mathgeek]

I thought whenever you call a WDW Resort asking to speak with a guest the Cast Member always asks what their room number is? So despite having the guests name on their parking pass if someone doesn't know their room number I don't think that's as bad as you might think.

Unless they have changed this, I have called guests at a WDW resort not knowing what room they were in and was connected to their room by just giving a name.

Also, when I give emergency info to family before we leave town I only give them the name of the resort and phone number. There have been many times that I have not given them a room number after we have checked in. If they had to contact me in a real emergency and couldn't get me on a cell phone, I would hope the resort would connect them to my room. So there's more than one side to this issue.

 

[JerseyMamaBear]

Thanks for the info

 

[Shadeaux]

I thought whenever you call a WDW Resort asking to speak with a guest the Cast Member always asks what their room number is? So despite having the guests name on their parking pass if someone doesn't know their room number I don't think that's as bad as you might think.

I believe you have that backward. If you call and ask for a specific room number, they'll ask for the name of the guest before connecting you.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Apparently, these types of pranks are going on around Disneyland, too. We checked into a hotel across the street from DL a few weeks ago. There were signs posted on the front desk and also in the elevators. It said they've received reports of people calling hotels rooms and saying they're hotel staff. They instruct the guests to do "unusual things." The sign said if you get such a call to hang up and contact the front desk. I asked the desk clerk about this when we were checking in. He said it hadn't happened at that particular hotel, but was reported to them by another hotel. I asked what the "unusual things" entailed and he just said he didn't know for sure. I told my husband and kids that if someone calls the room and tells you to run down the hallway naked that they shouldn't do it!

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I believe you have that backward. If you call and ask for a specific room number, they'll ask for the name of the guest before connecting you.

Yes your right I did get that backwards.

 

[debdreamsofdis]

Just to make sure everybody is on the same page here, here is a link to the story and the clip from the Today Show
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/16/cruel-pranksters-across-t_n_235317.html

So to clarify, the deputy who "trashed" the room was a victim of the prank call. He did not video tape it himself. I think this may have been Carol A's misunderstanding of the OP's post.

I do have to agree that I find it odd that Streammaster felt she needed to give a verbal tongue lashing to a very established poster.

 

[CanadianGuy]

While interesting.. this has nothing to do with Disney near as I can tell.

As such, I'm moving this to the Rumors and News Board.

Thanks,

Knox