Scams with online casino games reportedly cost players more than $21.5 million.
In a recent report, Chinese authorities have revealed a major bust to combat fraudulent online gambling in Cambodia. The investigation which first began about a year ago, came to its conclusion with 218 suspects being detained for scamming more than 1,000 customers out of a total of RMB140 million, or US$21.5 million.
Extortion Scams with Online Casinos
According to the information released by the authorities, the scammers would run online casino scams out of hotel rooms while the servers were being hosted in Poipet. They would then use the name of reputable brands in the gambling city of Macau to attract customers by text message presenting a combination of live dealer and digital casino games for real money. Some of the used names include the Venetian Macao, Galaxy and Grand Lisboa.
At first, new customers would win a bit and they could easily withdraw the funds, while also receiving incentives to deposit more and thus continue playing. After a big deposit, the rigged games would make sure that the player losses right away and the site stopped all communications with the client.
The mix of a known trademark and the green light on the first small withdrawal made the casinos appear reliable and more than one thousand players fell into their trap.
The investigation which started in March 2015 focused on dozens of citizens from China and several Cambodians who the authorities were looking for, while the major bust covered 18 provinces across Mainland China.
Avoiding Fraudulent Websites
It is very important for customers nowadays to pay attention to the websites at which they make real money deposits and play gambling games. Every online casino must have a verified license and a good reputation before a player should consider joining. These elements can be easily verified on professional sites and can help users save a lot of money and heartache.
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