BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 If you don't buy your tickets straight from Disney or an authorized reseller, buyer beware! Full article with photos and video...http://www.wesh.com/news/woman-charged-in-connection-with-fraud-ring-involving-disney-theme-park-tickets/34642084 Woman charged in connection with fraud ring involving Disney theme park tickets Eileen Hightower charged with credit card fraudUPDATED 5:38 AM EDT Aug 11, 2015 ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —An Orange County woman appeared in federal court Monday afternoon, charged with being part of a fraud ring involving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Disney theme park tickets. The suspect's husband said his wife is being railroaded."They're going to fabricate something to make it stick," said Ty Crooms.Crooms said his wife Eileen Hightower is being railroaded by federal agents who've charged her with credit card fraud."We've got to let the courts decide, but it's innocent until proven guilty. This is America," Crooms said. Hightower pleaded not guilty on Monday. The Secret Service said Hightower and at least three accomplices used other people's credit card accounts to make $360,000 in fraudulent purchases in the last eight months at a dozen Orlando area resorts, mostly to buy large amounts of Walt Disney World theme park tickets."What that tells me is she knows the ticket re-sale industry is ripe for this kind of fraud. She knows how to use it," said Richard Hornsby, WESH 2 legal analyst.According to court documents, Hightower has worked previously reselling theme park tickets."I'm going to support her to the end, whether it's innocent or guilty," Crooms said.Hornsby said theme parks could do more to track and cancel tickets purchased through fraudulent means before they can be resold to honest customers."It's amazing how brazen they were," Hornsby said.WESH 2 News found theme park tickets for sale on Craigslist for as little as a dollar. When it comes to buying tickets online, it's 'buyer beware' and consumers should not be afraid to check out the seller to make sure they're legitimate.On Jan. 2, agents said the ring accounted for $13,000 in fraudulent ticket purchases in just one hour. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caveat lector 181 Posted August 12, 2015 Report Share Posted August 12, 2015 Looks like another fun and exciting game of "Who's the biggest dullard" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted September 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2015 Follow up... Woman Pleads Guilty in Fraud Disney Ticket RingSeptember 8, 2015 by Disney News We recently reported about a Fraud Disney Ticket ring involving and Orange County Woman by the name Eileen Hightower. She has recently plead guilty to stealing people’s identities and buying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Disney tickets, and the then reselling them for profit. Hightower is suspected to be the ring leader but she did have at least 2 other accomplices. She admitted to buying more than $360,000 worth of Disney tickets. Her husband stated that the prosecution is “a waste of time and money.” “They want to waste America’s tax dollars on someone who is going to walk out with probation. That’s a waste of your tax money, your tax money and my tax money.” She could get up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. She has admitted to making fake cards but with real information from the over 20 identity theft victims. She bought huge amounts of Disney tickets at resorts using fake credit cards. She would then resell them to a local ticket re-seller in Central Florida. A Disney spokesperson said the tickets involved were real and accounts exploited were not connected to Disney. Her guilty plea also requires her to pay back whatever restitution to the victims as the court sees fit.The actual ticket re-seller has not been named and they have not been charged, but there is an ongoing investigation. Please remember to do your research! http://www.chipandco.com/woman-pleads-guilty-disney-ticket-fraud-ring-218753/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted January 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Follow up to the case above from the Orlando Sentinel... Disney fraudulent-ticket family gets prison, $107K billThis Central Florida family's brush with Disney wasn't magical. It was illegal. A Kissimmee woman, two of her children and another relative were recently sentenced to prison and ordered to pay $107,000 in restitution for an identity theft scam involving tickets to Walt Disney World parks. Senior U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp on Wednesday sentenced each scammer to at least three years in federal prison. The mother, Eileen Hightower, 50, of Kissimmee got an additional 10 months. Hightower her two adult children — Samuel Velasquez Jr. and Sabrina Velasquez, both of Kissimmee — and Hightower's niece, Jennifer Cancel of Hartford, Conn., previously pleaded guilty for their roles in the scam. They used stolen information to obtain fake driver licenses and credit cards, federal prosecutors said. Then they used those cards to buy tickets for Disney attractions. They sold the tickets to illegal ticket resellers in Kissimmee, federal prosecutors said. "Over a period of a few months, more than $100,000 in theme park tickets were fraudulently purchased and then resold," the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida said in a statement. Copyright © 2016, Orlando Sentinel http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-disney-prison-fraud-tickets-id-theft-20160123-story.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Her husband stated that the prosecution is “a waste of time and money.” “They want to waste America’s tax dollars on someone who is going to walk out with probation. That’s a waste of your tax money, your tax money and my tax money.” Oops. Three years and ten months isn't walking out with probation. Don't mess with Disney. TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023 Posted January 22, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 Sounds like this one got kicked up to federal charges... They used stolen information to obtain fake driver licenses and credit cards, federal prosecutors said. That plus the fact that this went across state lines may be why they didn't get off as easily as some others have. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
keith_h 420 Posted January 22, 2016 Report Share Posted January 22, 2016 I find it hard to believe the ticket re-seller wasn't in on the scam too and it wouldn't surprise me if they were the brains behind the whole shebang. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tim5055 120 Posted January 23, 2016 Report Share Posted January 23, 2016 Sounds like this one got kicked up to federal charges... That plus the fact that this went across state lines may be why they didn't get off as easily as some others have. Not kicked up, from the original article the investigating agency was the Secret Service. The USSS investigates any crimes against the currency. From the USSS websiteThe Investigative Mission Since its inception in 1865, the Secret Service was created to investigate and prevent counterfeiting. Today the agency’s investigative mission has evolved from enforcing counterfeiting laws to safeguarding the payment and financial systems of the United States from a wide range of financial and computer-based crimes. To combat these crimes, the Secret Service has adopted a proactive approach, using advanced technologies and capitalizing on the power of task force partnerships. The U.S. Secret Service has a pivotal role in securing the nation’s critical infrastructures, specifically in the areas of cyber, banking and finance. Other directives address the need to combat transnational organized crime that targets the citizens and financial institutions of the United States. In response to the globalization of technology- based threats, the U.S. Secret Service’s investigative mission abroad is growing as well, creating the need for a heightened overseas liaison presence. Today, multi-disciplined forensics experts, investigative experts and intelligence analysts provide rapid response and critical information in support of financial analysis, infrastructure protection and criminal investigations. BradyBzLyn...Mo 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tri-Circle-D 2,059 Posted January 25, 2016 Report Share Posted January 25, 2016 I find it hard to believe the ticket re-seller wasn't in on the scam too and it wouldn't surprise me if they were the brains behind the whole shebang. Agreed. This ticket re-seller buys $360K worth of Disney tickets from one family, and doesn't question whether something funny is going on? TCD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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