Unhappiest Scam On Earth: How To NOT Buy Fraudulent Disneyland Tickets on Craigslist

A Mountain View family of four went to Disneyland last week to take advantage of “Park Hopper” tickets purchased for $500 from a seller found on Craigslist, according to police.

“These tickets ... appeared to be a good deal for this family, however, they learned otherwise,” said the Mountain View Police Department.

When they presented their tickets to visit Disneyland, the tickets were deemed invalid, police said.

“While the tickets, themselves, were legitimate, they were not activated by the store where they were somehow obtained,” the department said in a statement. “Much like a store will activate a gift card, these passes required the same type of activation, and without it they are rendered useless.”

Unfortunately, this family ended up paying for legitimate passes, in addition to the ones purchased from the Craigslist seller.

A MVPD Crime Suppression detective identified the Craigslist seller, a San Francisco man, who initially sold the four tickets to the victims and was about to sell more to unwitting locals, police said.

David Kao, 25, of San Francisco, was charged with two counts of suspected theft by false pretenses, along with alleged possession and transportation of marijuana for sales and transport, and was booked into the San Jose Main Jail, police said.

The Mountain View police reminds folks that interacting with sellers on Craigslist -- or any online forum to buy, sell or trade goods -- comes with risks.

“There are certain best practices that exist, which Craigslist explains here. Pay close attention to the area called ‘Recognizing Scams,’” police said.

Poor grammar and spelling in an ad, along with vague correspondence, are often a telltale signs that could result in “negative” transactions, police said.

“This is often coupled with deals that seem too good to be true,” police said, adding that wire transfers or sellers declining to meet in person could also spell trouble.

If you do find yourself to be a victim of a crime, call your local police department or go to the Internet Crimes Complaint website.

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