New Scam Exploits Visitors to Canada’s Wonderland Theme Park
Canada’s Wonderland theme park in Toronto has issued a warning about a social media scam appearing on Facebook and other sites. This new scheme targets people who enjoy the park’s many thrilling rides, including radical roller coasters, but can’t afford the high price of a ticket. Ticket prices for one day start at $41.99 with season passes starting at $89.99.
How the Scam Works
An ad is displayed that says you can win 5 free tickets to Wonderland Park simply by completing a survey, then sharing the link to get free tickets with friends. A link in the ad sends people to a landing page that contains the survey. The additional instructions say that the link must be shared online with friends before the tickets will be released.
A spokeswoman for Wonderland, Grace Peacock, confirmed that the Facebook scheme is fraudulent. Ms. Peacock advised consumers to purchase tickets only from the authentic Wonderland website or other authorized ticket sellers.
“Canada’s Wonderland takes ticket fraud very seriously. If anyone has any concerns about the validity of their ticket or a dealer, please call guest services,” said Ms. Peacock. “We caution people to be wary of discounted ticket deals from individuals, third-party websites, apps or social media,” she added.
She reminded people that these offers are not sponsored by Canada’s Wonderland Park, confirming that a similar scheme was spreading on WhatsApp. She also said that York regional police have been notified about the ticket scam and cautioned consumers to be wary about responding to ads that seem too good to be true.
Park officials are advising everyone to purchase tickets from Wonderland’s official website or at the front gate. Tickets can also be purchased from authorized ticket dealers including Perkopolis, Costco, and Venngo.
Contents of the Ad:
The ad reads: “Canada’s Wonderland providing 5 Free tickets Per family to celebrate its 51st year of quality service!”
Next, consumers are taken to a landing page that says:
“You have been selected to take part in our short survey to get 5 Free Canada’s Wonderland Tickets! We only have 212 tickets remaining so hurry up!”
Once the survey has been completed, consumers are instructed to share the page and click on the like button. Afterwards, they’re told they will receive five tickets valued at over $100. Wonderland Park officials advised people to call guest services at 905-832-8131 if they believe they’ve been sold fraudulent tickets.