Casino Visitors Being Targeted Heavily By Online Scammers

The casino industry is booming worldwide, and every year, millions travel around the globe to destinations such as Macau and Las Vegas. While the convenience factor of casino sites means they have become increasingly popular, there is the equal appeal for visiting a land-based establishment. In 2021, land-based gambling revenue accounted for 58.3% of total gambling revenue, according to the Casino Global Market Report 2023.

Casino reviews are, therefore, an essential part of the industry, with revelers reporting not only on the gambling elements of any given betting house but also on how they stack up against one another in terms of rooms, restaurants, and facilities. It appears, however, that in recent months, fraudsters have been targeting these review pages - in particular via Facebook - in an attempt to lure potential visitors before they have booked their stay. While online scammers have been around for decades, there seems to be a new emphasis on trying to trick casino visitors.

Casinos.com checked the Facebook reviews for multiple casino destinations around the globe, including three establishments in both Las Vegas and Atlantic City, two in Canada, three in Macau and two further casinos in the US, alongside three establishments in Europe. US casino reviews on Facebook appeared to be higher targets, but alleged scams appeared across all locations.  

Proceed With Caution on Social Media Reviews

Without fail, each casino establishment review page was flooded with comments - some more than others - from accounts posing as real reviewers but instead flogging what appears to be unheralded profits from so-called Forex and Crypto traders. To a trained eye, these messages raise a number of red flags, but thousands of people are scammed every year - with $8.8 billion lost to scams and fraud in 2022 according to AARP.

An example of a fishy review left on a casino's Facebook page

A typical scam will read something like, "{insert name} God will keep blessing you , I got my withdrawal yesterday. Bitcoin trader is still the very best platform I have experience myself, because they are very reliable and legit too, I invested $800 to earn $9,000. Everything was so easy than I thought. I kindly recommend {insert name}." These messages or similar, posted as reviews across every casino we checked, will also include email and phone numbers to get in contact with the alleged crypto and forex trading geniuses.

Another example read, "I must confess that surely she is a skilled professional trader and the best among all, as her clients all said, I saw so many positive reviews about {insert name} and she managed my account after I Invested $1000 and got a successful withdrawal of $10,200 within few days of my investment, "It always seems impossible until it’s done" with {insert name} your hard-earned money is 100% secured/safe You can contact her via..."

The issue is one that is outside on casino's control, as Facebook does not allow page owners to remove individual reviews. Casinos.com reached out to the establishments being targeted by these swindlers, with one source confirming, "We're aware of the issue. Our social media departments are constantly monitoring reviews and flagging anything suspicious to the relevant moderators."

Scams online can be challenging to spot, but there are a few simple steps that can help keep yourself secure;

• Speak with family members and friends when you're suspicious before following up on something
• Make your social media private
• Keeping up to date on the latest scams
• Don't reply to or click suspicious links
• Always assume people or companies aren't who they say they are until verified