Orlando man Charged in Theme Park Scheme

[a2grafix]

An update to the scammer who has been, um, scamming tourists at Disney World on fake tickets and discounts and charging up a storm on their credit cards.

This is from myFOXOrlando, WOFL FOX 35. It seems a 23-year-old Orlando man was behind this. Cops finally caught him after a 6-month investigation.

* * * *

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35, Orlando) -- A central Florida man has been charged in a credit card scheme involving various Orlando theme parks and tourist attractions.

On Friday Orange County sheriff’s office announced the arrest of Jason MaClaren, 23, following a 6 month investigation.

Detectives say MaClaren would call hotel guests in their rooms and offer them discount tickets on dinner deals and park tickets. He would take their credit card information over the phone and tell them to pick up their tickets at a certain time and location. When the victims showed up to pick up their tickets, MaClaren wasn’t there and they realized they were scammed.

MaClaren then used the credit cards to order theme park tickets over the phone and pick them up right away before the credit card was canceled. He would then sell the tickets to people at numerous theme park locations.
Investigators estimate the value of the tickets at $30,000.00. They have identified 45 cases and contacted 33 victims of the scam.

MaClaren has been charged with identify theft, grand theft, and fraudulent use of a credit card.

He is currently being held in the Brevard County jail on a traffic charge.
In 2006 he was arrested for calling guests at the Grand Floridian for a similar scam. He failed to appear in court on those charges.

 

[miles1]

Great to hear that they caught this dirt bag. Hopefully this time they'll hold him without bond, since he apparently thinks he doesn't need to show up in court. I hope he's forced to make restitution as well.

 

[resjr1]

Did This Bone Head Ever Work For Disney !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[joanna71985]

Glad they finally caught him.

 

[wdwmomof3]

Did This Bone Head Ever Work For Disney !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wouldn't that be a site? I sure hope that he didn't. I just wonder how or if he knew the people's names before he called or if he just randomly called room numbers at different resorts and then got their names.

 

[joanna71985]

Did This Bone Head Ever Work For Disney !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I saw somewhere else he was a former CM.

 

[wdwmomof3]

I saw somewhere else he was a former CM.

Well that explains how he would know the room phone numbers for the different resorts.

 

[bigorangeandy]

For $33,000 lets hope that he gets several years in the pokey.

 

[TakeMe2TheMagic]

wow! Some people are so low! I am glad to hear they got him, so he is no longer targeting innocent people.

 

[sknydave]

give him the chair!

 

[kimmychad]

its situations like this that i dont buy tickets from just anyone down there. there was a guy standing outside a souvenier shop wanting us to buy tickets or something i just kept on walking

 

[imagine_82]

yes, it's sad, but you can't trust just anyone anymore.

 

[goofntink]

My wifes Aunt who is a manager at WDW told us, he was a former resort castmember and that is how he knew his way around the resorts. He would approach guests around the pool and common areas as if he was doing a random survey at Poly, Pop, Coronado Springs,and a couple others like the All Stars.He would ask them general questions about how they were enjoying their stay,and then at some point get their room number. He would then call them in their rooms later that evening and inform them they had been chosen at random from the survey to recieve deeply discounted tickets to one of the dinner shows,most of the time it was Hoop DEE DOO. He would then get their credit card info, and then turn around and purchase entire blocks of tickets to the parks. He was then selling them for $25-40 dollars each himself,or sold to the timeshare discount ticket sellers.

 

[tigfan]

Well that explains how he would know the room phone numbers for the different resorts.

Are you saying you think there's no way to find out a phone number for a hotel unless you're a former CM with "inside" info?? Gee, if that were true, how would hotels ever get any business?? No one would ever be able to reach them by phone! :hammer:

 

[hrcollectibles]

When will people learn .. if it sound sto good to be true it probably is. It stinks that people got scammed..But when will people learn not to give out any information over the phone like a Credit Card or Social Security Number.. I am glad they caught the guy

 

[rileyspaw]

Who would be trusting or stupid enough to give out their charge card numbers over the phone to a stranger calling their hotel room?:hammer:

 

[dpunky]

I wonder if CMs at the Check In Desks are warning guests about this during check in.

 

[doop]

Glad they caught him, what a crook.

 

[OmegaKnight]

I wonder if CMs at the Check In Desks are warning guests about this during check in.

They apparently put little notices about not giving out your CC number next to all the phones in the rooms.

 

[Scooter]

Who would be trusting or stupid enough to give out their charge card numbers over the phone to a stranger calling their hotel room?:hammer:

Apparently at least 45 people.

I'm not into calling people I don't know stupid though.
When you are in Disney World, for the most part, you feel safe. I can actually see how people fell for this scam. I'm just glad they caught the perpetrator and I hope he gets properly punished.