JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Each holiday season, Jacksonville’s Blackhawk Bluff neighborhood turns into an epicenter of holiday cheer, with a lights display folks come from all across the city to see.
Now, discounted tickets are being sold for the drive-through light show on Groupon. However, the only problem is: the drive-through show is completely free of charge – and always has been.
“Our neighborhood is absolutely free. You don’t pay for anything,” reassured Blackhawk Bluffs neighbor Doug Hicks. “Matter of fact, you can come through and most people are willing to hand you something like candy or hot chocolate.”
Hicks has been at the center of the neighborhood’s yearly holiday tradition – helping decorate for many of his older neighbor’s displays.
His cousin down the road is the one who found the Groupon add, selling bogus tickets for $16 a car. In fact, the Groupon website shows two people actually bought the fraudulent tickets.
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“Well, that’s upsetting. I’m sure they came out looking for a place to refund their tickets, didn’t find it, and knew they were scammed,” Hicks said Sunday morning.
Now, Hicks and his neighbors just hope the police find this holiday Grinch.
“I hear that they’ve turned it into Jacksonville’s police department and they’re investigating it,” Hicks told Action News Jax. “So we’ll see what happens.”
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office sent Action News Jax the following statement:
“This is a long-standing event, and typically, due to its popularity and the sheer number of visitors it has drawn, the neighborhoods have hired JSO officers through our Secondary Employment Unit.
We were made aware of this last night, and the information has been forwarded to the appropriate unit for follow-up. I can tell you the association has advised us they had been made aware of the “Groupon” and they were unsure of the source, and it would appear to be a scam. They re-iterated they have not, and do not plan to charge any monies to those visiting the site.
I have not been made aware of any victims at this time, If you are aware of specific individuals that have been victimized as a result of the “Groupon”, we would ask that they call the non-emergency number to report the incident.”
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