Credit: Ed Aguila, Inside the MagicSenior citizens are at risk, as netizens have exposed the latest scam involving the Disneyland Resort, targeting vulnerable demographics.
Walt Disney’s original theme park in Anaheim, California, has been the birthplace of countless magical memories for generations of Disney fans since its opening in 1955. Unfortunately, thousands are now at risk, as a malicious scam is tainting Disneyland Resort’s image and targeting vulnerable demographics as its victims.
Related: Elderly Couple Tragically Denied Entrance To Disney Park
Social media has become a significant tool for thousands of guests and content creators when visiting Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure — despite Walt Disney World Resort facing drastic measures against them. Sadly, netizens recently took to Reddit to warn others about an ongoing scam targeting Disney fans, particularly senior citizens, who could be the most vulnerable victims.
Redditor u/SwiftBastard recently shared a screenshot of a text message they received from “Jasmin Awan from Disneyland Resort,” who pretended to be an employee for the Anaheim-based Disney Resort and offered the user a position to work from home.
The opening message to this alleged scam reads: “Hello! I’m Jasmine Awan from Disneyland Resort. My office is looking for people who want to work from home. You can complete it with your mobile phone without affecting your current job. If you have time, can I share the details with you? Thank you.”
Like many fellow Redditors, the user was skeptical of this message and agreed to hear more about this “magical offer” before sharing their experience.
Related: Disney Firmly Responds to Ticket Scams, New Patent Filed
A follow-up message from the alleged Disneyland employee reads: “The job content is to increase the visibility and order volume of Disney theme restaurants and other cooperative star-rated restaurants. Work 5 days a week, about half an hour a day. Basic monthly income is $2000-$4000. Restricted age: 23-80 years old. After completing the interview you will receive US$30-75. Would you like to take a few minutes to find out?”
The targeted victim didn’t respond to this second message, making the scammers send a series of question marks in a third message. The user shared a screenshot of the bizarre conversation, commenting, “This screams scam,” and advising fellow Redditors to “watch out.”
You can see u/SwiftBastard’s post below or click here to watch it.
Redditors were outraged by the exchange, and several quickly pointed out that these text messages are what is called a “pig butchering scam.” This scheme uses fake online personas to trick victims into fraudulent investments and electronic payments after gaining their trust, manipulating their emotions, and exploiting financial vulnerabilities.
While every recipient of these fraudulent messages is at risk, one user pointed out that, considering a range of “23-80 years old,” this scam also targeted senior citizens, who could be particularly vulnerable due to digital illiteracy.
Netizens quickly pointed out the different indicators that exposed these messages as scams, including the different font, the grammar, and the question marks, to mention a few.
Redditor u/TrowTruck joined the conversation by saying, “Just to state the annoyingly obvious, Disneyland would never state an age range like this. At most they can specify that someone must be above the legal age to perform the tasks they need, but their HR/Legal department will never allow them to put an age cap if it’s as high as 80.”
Related: Guest Reveals “Disturbing” Disney Park “Scam”
User u/BigHat6630 commented, “I got one of these and had fun with them since I actually am a CM.” The user commented that they requested a website outlining the project and received a link to disney.com, adding that the name of the person who contacted them does not appear in the company employee directory. However, fellow Redditors advised readers not to interact with the scammers.
Despite the malicious situation, some users found the humor in the scam, including u/d33psix, who commented, “Belle and Ariel aren’t recruiting?
The Federal Trade Commission says that Americans can identify a scam by paying attention to these points:
- Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know.
- Scammers say there’s a PROBLEM or a PRIZE.
- Scammers PRESSURE you to act immediately.
- Scammers tell you to PAY in a specific way.
The federal agency also shares the following advice to avoid scams:
- Block unwanted calls and text messages.
- Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect.
- Resist the pressure to act immediately.
- Know how scammers tell you to pay.
- Stop and talk to someone you trust.
You can visit the official Federal Trade Commission website and learn more about how you can protect yourself and others from scams.
Inside the Magic contacted Disneyland Resort for comment on this alleged scam, but no response had been received by this article’s publishing.
Were you aware of this scam? What do you think of this situation? Share your opinion with Inside the Magic in the comments below!