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Times Square 'Mickey Mouse' Allegedly Scammed Tourist With Credit Card Reader Con
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 15, 2017
Modified Feb 15, 2017
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By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 15, 2017
Modified Feb 15, 2017
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Once upon a time, when you got scammed in Times Square, it was from being taken in by three-card monte dealers. Now, crooks are using credit card readers!
This week, police announced that a NJ man who dresses as Mickey Mouse in Times Square was arrested for overcharging a tourist from Tennessee for a photograph on Friday night. Police sources tell the Daily News that Lester Mengerson, 52, "somehow convinced the tourist to pay $190 for a photo."
Only later, when the victim lost his credit card and checked his bank statements, did he realize that he'd been charged an outrageous $310 for a photo with Mickey Mouse, not the very reasonable $190 to which he had agreed.
Mengerson was charged with petty larceny. He was previously an Elmo, but changed to the Disney character, telling Newsday, "I heard someone say stay away from this Elmo [or] ‘Elmo, I heard you got out of jail.' Now, I bought this costume, I’m not being affected at all."
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credit card reader
mickey mouse character
scam
Times Square
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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