Long Beach police gives family Disneyland tickets after online scam

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- An online scam artist conned a 19-year-old woman out of hundreds of dollars during her attempt to take a family to Disneyland.

Daycare worker Joyce, a student with three jobs, decided to send a little boy she cared for and his family to the theme park as their single mom could not afford to do so, being unable to work.

The young woman found discounted tickets online and met the seller at a gas station. She paid $600 in cash only to discover that the tickets were fake.

Joyce contacted the Long Beach Police Department, who managed to provide replacement tickets.

"I wasn't thinking about money. I was thinking about making them happy. I was kind of upset that I worked really hard for someone to just take it away like nothing," Joyce said.

Tiffany, the mother of the children, shared how overwhelmed she was at the gesture.

"I'm happy that my kids have the opportunity to go to Disneyland because everyone knows it's very expensive and I'm a single mother," Tiffany said.

Long Beach police officer Matt Mills told reporters "It was the right thing to do."

"Joyce left an impression on my partner and myself. Very nice lady, she tried to do the right thing," Mills said.

Detectives are investigating the incident and the suspect now faces felony charges.

Long Beach police warned those purchasing second-hand tickets to Disneyland or events, to be sure to verify their authenticity before making a payment.