TikToker Exposes Times Square Mickey Mouse, Elmo ‘Scam’ and How to Get Free Photos

A tourist from the U.K. was chased down by New York City's infamous masked characters in Times Square, after snapping a photo with them — for free.

"Don't fall for this scam," Husnain Asif shouts at fellow tourists in Times Square, after appearing to take a picture with people dressed up as Disney and other animated characters.

The content creator, recently featured in the Netflix "Squid Game" follow-up reality show, posted the video to TikTok on Wednesday.

The clip begins with Asif posing with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, as well as Elmo, before simply saying "thank you" and walking away.

"Money!" the actors shout, then Asif tells them he has none.

One woman, dressed as a mouse, shouts "Delete it!"

"Woah, woah, Mickey Mouse is after me!" Asif says as he walks off. The video then cuts to another "mouse" appearing to flash their buttocks at him.

"Hey that's not very Disney!" Asif says in response.

He then tells tourists, who also are having photos taken with the characters, that they do not have to pay them.

Someone dressed as The Grinch strides toward Asif, trying to get him to leave.

"I didn't realize that you had to pay them and the statue of Liberty chased me on stilts I had to hide in toys r us it still traumatizes me to this day," one commenter said on TikTok.

The official Times Square website states that visitors do not have to tip costume characters, but that if they take a photo then a tip is expected.

While some tourists have reported being charged up to $50 for a photo, some performers only get a small share of each tip when it's split across a group.

In 2021, New York City Council introduced new regulations, which mostly focused on the areas vendors and street performers could operate.