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Dear Sir(s):
I hope this email finds you well.
We have identified a poker scam and I would like to inform the industry about (a) the 'typical' situation, (b) the participants, (c) how they hit me, and (d) the symptoms to watch out for.
First, let me explain the SCAM...
The SCAM is nicknamed 'credit card dumping'. I was told about credit card dumping by one of my poker competitors (America's Card Room - Mickey). He explained that in credit card dumping, one participant (or more) will enter your poker room with a credit card charge, the other participant will enter your card room with a small western union deposit. The person(s) with the credit card charge will PURPOSEFULLY lose his/their funds to the western union player. Then, the western union player will withdraw all funds. And, the credit card player will charge his credit cards back. The profits will be split at a later date between the western union player and the credit card player(s).
This is a MORE complex scam than most, but is simply a form of credit card fraud. Please note, the reason that the western union player deposits a small amount - is in case he gets caught - he is only out a few bucks (so the cost benefit ratio is WAY in his favor).
Second, let me identify the people I just caught participating in this scam...
Axel Schroeder ----- [email protected] (credit card)
Lars Grundt -------- [email protected] (credit card)
Boian Avedissian --- [email protected] ($50 western union)
You should blackball these people and mark them as scammers to save yourself the headache I am going through right now.
Third, how they hit me...
Axel and Lars came in with $700 and $500 in credit card charges respectively. Boian came in with a $50 western union. At 1:00 a.m. Boian transferred the $50.00 from our sportsbook to our casino. Boian let the money sit there for a minute and then transferred the money to our poker room (trying NOT to show an immediate transfer to poker from the sportsbook). He sat and waited for his partners in crime to show up at the poker table.
At 1:40 a.m. Lars transferred his entire balance to the poker room and begin to PURPOSEFULLY LOSE it to Boian. Once he had lost all of his money to Boian, then Axel transferred his money to the poker room (7:03 a.m.) and begin to PURPOSEFULLY LOSE it to Boian. By 7:13, Boian had 'won' all their money, transferred all his funds back to the sportsbook and called for an immediate Western Union payout.
Our accounting department called me because it was noted that Boian had turned $50 into $1,200 in the poker room (hard to do on a pari-mutuel game with only three participants), and that he was PUSHING for a quick payout. We investigated the play, the play led us to the other accounts, which led us to the transactions employed, which showed obvious collusion, etc. Once we looked at all the pieces of the puzzle, it was obvious.
The fact is that this case was obvious because Boian and the group were greedy. Axel and Lars were simply not even trying to put on a good show. They were dumping funds by folding GREAT HANDS, and letting Boian win with hands that were not worthy of even calling a bet (or staying in the game for that matter).
Fourth, symptoms to watch out for...
Some of the symptoms are obvious in the above scenario. But, the keys are (in case you missed them)...
(i) People showing up at a table at an odd hour to 'play together' (in this case 1:00 a.m. - a table by themselves where they could minimize other players shirking from their plan)
(ii) People playing as a team (people folding winning hands - people winning with weak hands - an obvious effort to shift the money into one persons account, etc.)
(iii) The 'lucky' winner happens to be the guy with a very small western union deposit
(iv) The 'unlucky' losers happen to be the guys who made larger credit card deposits (and their information happens not to check out - wrong phone number, invalid address, etc.)
(v) The 'lucky' winner calls in to pressure for an immediate payout of his winnings via Western Union
Summary:
If you see a pattern even remotely close to this, you need to check out the hand history. The hand history will show you if an 'effort to win' is even present. If it is not present, a red flag should go up.
Anyway, we caught this group of scammers. And, we thought it was important to notify you of their scam so that you could inform other operators of what happened. It is difficult enough to be an honest operator - the last thing you need is some 'scum' like the people above to enter your shop and cheat you.
Good luck this football season.
Thanks,
Dalton Wagner
I hope this email finds you well.
We have identified a poker scam and I would like to inform the industry about (a) the 'typical' situation, (b) the participants, (c) how they hit me, and (d) the symptoms to watch out for.
First, let me explain the SCAM...
The SCAM is nicknamed 'credit card dumping'. I was told about credit card dumping by one of my poker competitors (America's Card Room - Mickey). He explained that in credit card dumping, one participant (or more) will enter your poker room with a credit card charge, the other participant will enter your card room with a small western union deposit. The person(s) with the credit card charge will PURPOSEFULLY lose his/their funds to the western union player. Then, the western union player will withdraw all funds. And, the credit card player will charge his credit cards back. The profits will be split at a later date between the western union player and the credit card player(s).
This is a MORE complex scam than most, but is simply a form of credit card fraud. Please note, the reason that the western union player deposits a small amount - is in case he gets caught - he is only out a few bucks (so the cost benefit ratio is WAY in his favor).
Second, let me identify the people I just caught participating in this scam...
Axel Schroeder ----- [email protected] (credit card)
Lars Grundt -------- [email protected] (credit card)
Boian Avedissian --- [email protected] ($50 western union)
You should blackball these people and mark them as scammers to save yourself the headache I am going through right now.
Third, how they hit me...
Axel and Lars came in with $700 and $500 in credit card charges respectively. Boian came in with a $50 western union. At 1:00 a.m. Boian transferred the $50.00 from our sportsbook to our casino. Boian let the money sit there for a minute and then transferred the money to our poker room (trying NOT to show an immediate transfer to poker from the sportsbook). He sat and waited for his partners in crime to show up at the poker table.
At 1:40 a.m. Lars transferred his entire balance to the poker room and begin to PURPOSEFULLY LOSE it to Boian. Once he had lost all of his money to Boian, then Axel transferred his money to the poker room (7:03 a.m.) and begin to PURPOSEFULLY LOSE it to Boian. By 7:13, Boian had 'won' all their money, transferred all his funds back to the sportsbook and called for an immediate Western Union payout.
Our accounting department called me because it was noted that Boian had turned $50 into $1,200 in the poker room (hard to do on a pari-mutuel game with only three participants), and that he was PUSHING for a quick payout. We investigated the play, the play led us to the other accounts, which led us to the transactions employed, which showed obvious collusion, etc. Once we looked at all the pieces of the puzzle, it was obvious.
The fact is that this case was obvious because Boian and the group were greedy. Axel and Lars were simply not even trying to put on a good show. They were dumping funds by folding GREAT HANDS, and letting Boian win with hands that were not worthy of even calling a bet (or staying in the game for that matter).
Fourth, symptoms to watch out for...
Some of the symptoms are obvious in the above scenario. But, the keys are (in case you missed them)...
(i) People showing up at a table at an odd hour to 'play together' (in this case 1:00 a.m. - a table by themselves where they could minimize other players shirking from their plan)
(ii) People playing as a team (people folding winning hands - people winning with weak hands - an obvious effort to shift the money into one persons account, etc.)
(iii) The 'lucky' winner happens to be the guy with a very small western union deposit
(iv) The 'unlucky' losers happen to be the guys who made larger credit card deposits (and their information happens not to check out - wrong phone number, invalid address, etc.)
(v) The 'lucky' winner calls in to pressure for an immediate payout of his winnings via Western Union
Summary:
If you see a pattern even remotely close to this, you need to check out the hand history. The hand history will show you if an 'effort to win' is even present. If it is not present, a red flag should go up.
Anyway, we caught this group of scammers. And, we thought it was important to notify you of their scam so that you could inform other operators of what happened. It is difficult enough to be an honest operator - the last thing you need is some 'scum' like the people above to enter your shop and cheat you.
Good luck this football season.
Thanks,
Dalton Wagner