Deposit Theft And Phishing Emails Among The Casino Scams To Be Aware Of.
(STL.News) The rise of technology has radically transformed the casino industry. Nowadays, online platforms give players instant access to wide catalogs of slots, poker, and live dealer games while offering attractive promotions and sports betting for VIPs and high rollers.
However, scammers have been quick to respond to the rise of digital casino platforms. Players who do not take measures are at risk of falling victim to deposit theft, identity theft, phishing emails, and other types of scams listed below.
Deposit theft
Deposit theft is possibly the most common online casino scam. A player may access a well-designed website that resembles a legitimate casino operator. However, this is a facade, as there’s nothing behind it. Yet, players may unknowingly make deposits that will never show up in their accounts or will be declined. Eventually, these websites will disappear with the player’s money.
A more complex version of this scam involves an actual operational casino. Only that, in such cases, players will be persuaded to make small deposits and will steadily lose money.
Phishing emails and personal information theft
When creating an account at an online casino and making their first deposit, players will be asked a series of details, including their full names, email addresses, phone numbers, and banking information. While this is relatively safe at a licensed, reputable casino, unlicensed or fake casinos will use the information or sell it to a third party that can impersonate them and cause serious financial harm.
Fraudsters may also try to harvest sensitive data through emails. These false emails supposedly come from the account owner’s regular casino and will entice the individual to click on a link to receive bonus funds or another special offer. Then, a spoof site will open where the person will enter their login credentials.
Bonus scams
Players who are on the lookout for the best gambling platforms may search for the best welcome bonuses and special offers. However, fraudsters tend to create too-good-to-be-true deals in order to trick players into depositing money.
Now, reputable casinos do offer welcome bonuses. Players need to earn such bonuses by gambling a specified amount—that’s a standard practice in the industry. Yet, scammers will require players to gamble larger sums of their money in order to receive that bonus.
No payment
After a small series of wins or even hitting the jackpot, a player will request to withdraw their earnings only to be told that there’s been a processing error or given another questionable excuse.
How to prevent falling victim to an online casino scam?
Scams are getting more and more sophisticated by the day. Therefore, those who enjoy playing online slots, poker, roulette, and other casino games should take various preventive measures, such as the following:
Research the casino and read customer reviews;
Check if the casino has a license issued by a gambling authority (CRA, DGA, GRA, MGA, NGA, UKGC, etc.);
- Read the site’s terms and conditions before taking any action;
- Make small initial deposits;
- Install an antivirus software;
- Block and report suspicious emails with too-good-to-be-true offers.
