ORLANDO, Fla. — Deputies arrested suspects for allegedly preying on tourists with fake theme park tickets, but WFTV found them back on the street Monday.
Investigators say the suspects lure in tourists, getting them to buy theme park tickets they can't use. The tourists don't know they've been taken until they show up at the park.
If you've ever been to the theme parks, you know the tickets are linked to your fingerprints so that no one else can use them. So when the scammers re-sell multi-day tickets to tourists, they get to the parks and find out they can't be used because the ticket is already linked to someone else's fingerprint.
Jonathan Clarke and Elena Tarano were arrested Friday for re-selling multi-day Universal Orlando tickets that had already been used. By Monday morning, they were back at their booth in the heart of International Drive selling tickets again.
When WFTV confronted them, both took off.
"All we want is a simple explanation as to why you would resell tickets you knew people wouldn't be able to use," WFTV reporter Daralene Jones told Clarke.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he said.
Orange County sheriff's detectives said Clarke and Tarano allegedly make a living off buying multi-day tickets from Disney and Universal Orlando. The tickets are re-sold to tourists, who are lured by "deep discount" signs at booths or convenience stores that only accept cash.
The buyer doesn't find out the ticket isn't valid until they get to the park.
Detective Robert Stephens has been working with theme parks since January to get a handle on what Universal Orlando calls a $21 million problem.
"From what we understand, there is millions lost," he said.
That's because, in a rush, sometimes the bad tickets make it through the system. And, if they are caught, detectives said the parks would rather give up free tickets to avoid a fuss. So it's the ticket scammers making all the money.
"I would estimate between fifty and sixty thousand easily [just by scamming tourists]," Stephens said.
Re-selling the tickets is only a misdemeanor, which doesn't come with jail time if convicted, only a small fine.
WFTV
