Don’t Get Fooled – Avoiding Online Casino Scams
The ability to play at casinos online has been super-convenient for players but has also opened the door for scammers who are ready to take your money. By remaining vigilant, though, you can avoid common scams. This article discusses the best ways of avoiding online casino scams.
How Can You Avoid Online Casino Scams?
The good news is that most online casino scams can be avoided if you follow the straightforward tips in this guide. The most prevalent is phishing which accounts for the bulk of the scam attacks on online casino players and avoiding this type of scam will cut the chance of fraud hugely. We’ll also highlight some of the other nasty tricks the fraudsters get up to and arm you with strategies to combat them. Finally, we’ll recommend the best course of action if you have been a victim of an online casino scam.
Common Online Casino Scams You can Avoid
As with any form of online fraud the most important thing is to be aware that you could become a victim. Even the cleverest people are scammed. Below we have set out the most common ways of how to avoid such scams. To understand more, see our article on examples of online casino scams.
Preventing Phishing Attacks
Phishing is an attempt by scammers to get you to reveal personal details so they can use that info to take over your accounts and perhaps steal your money. To avoid this in the first place players need to be very careful about what links they click on.
Scammers can easily mimic popular casino websites, payment processors and even email log-in pages in the hope you will enter your private details. Some of these spoofed pages even lurk in Google search results. Be careful about searching for for terms such as password reset, how to contact or how to withdraw in connection with your online casino.
Mistyping URLs can also land you in trouble. Scammers will clone websites with a similar URL so when you land on the page it appears legit. Once you start entering log-in details, the fraudsters will have what they need.
Social media can be hotbed for phishing attempts. Be wary of clicking any links on social media sites especially ones which have the link masked by a URL shortener. You may well be sent to a fake homepage and unwittingly enter private details.
To avoid falling for this type of online casino scam, it makes perfect sense to stop and think before entering any personal details into ANY website. It is worth closing the page and going straight to the correct website’s homepage.
Social Media manipulation is also prevalent in other industries, such as online dating. Scammers use Catfishing – a practice where they impersonate people on social dating platforms to build fake relationships and pressure vulnerable individuals into providing financial aid.
It is vital that you never lose control of your email address. Once a scammer has this then he can reset any other passwords and even bypass any two-step authentication process. Therefore, one of the easiest way of avoiding online casino scams is never lose control over your email account.
Fake Apps – Avoid At All Costs
Though not as common as phishing, another easily avoidable online casino scam is the use of fake casino apps. Scammers will need to use phishing to get you to click on a link to a new casino – perhaps offering a great bonus or unbelievable RTP.
To avoid this type of scam, players simply should never download an app that is not available in the Apple or Google Play store. Be aware of the old maxim (if tempted by a huge bonus, perhaps) – ‘If it’s too good to be true, it probably is’.
For complete protection do not download any casino apps. These days they are not strictly necessary to enjoy gambling on the go. The advances in mobile browser technology in recent years means there is no loss of quality on handheld devices without an app.
Casino Software – Don’t Download It!
Many malware attacks can be caused by players dowloading casino software onto their laptops. Typically, they arrive at a seemingly respectable online casino through a link or by mistyping a domain name. Once downloaded, malware can be easily installed on your device.
The best advice is never download any casino software. These days, there is no need to install anything from an online casino on your computer. All games are now playable on an up-to-date internet browser. While some operators give players the option to install software, for complete safety it is better to play solely in a browser.
Syndicate Scams
Although more likely to be seen as a sports betting scam, players have also been known to fall for ‘get quick rich’ schemes and this is one online casino scam you can avoid easily. The premise is you will be sold an investment type product which promises high returns by taking advantage of knowledge on the casino industry.
This is one of the simplest scams to avoid. Just ignore any efforts by high-pressure salesperson to relieve you of an ‘investment’ in their scam schemes. Unlike with sports, there is no known way to get an edge at casino sites. Therefore, any claims of guaranteed profits is a guaranteed scam and should be avoided at all costs.
Identity Theft and Social Engineering
As we have discussed, the easiest and most common way of executing online casino scams is through phishing and malicious links. However, there are other ways players can be scammed in the online casino world mainly through identity theft and by social engineering.
Both of these tend to happen offline and the way to avoid these is by staying vigilant. Players must be wary of communicating by telephone, WhatsApp and text message with any unknown person. Oftentimes, these communicators will pretend to be from a bank, an online casino or payment processor.
To avoid this type of online casino scam where the aim is to take control of your accounts is simple. If you have any doubt, then end the current communication channel and contact the official customer services. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
How to Assess if an Online Casino is Genuine
Avoiding online casino scams is one thing, but how do you avoid scam online casinos? Fraudulent online casinos are quite rare. Scammers do not want to go to the hassle of setting up a whole fake casino in the hope they will catch a few players unaware. The real danger is in unregulated online casinos.
Unregulated means unlicensed. For UK players that means they are not legally allowed to offer gambling services to residents of Great Britain. Avoiding these sites is easy by taking a look at the website and clicking through any licence claim to see if it is genuine. Never forget that the best-ranked high stake casino sites will be UKGC licensed.
It is important to note that not all unregulated operators are scam online casinos. However, the fact they are not licensed means there is little in the way players can do to resolve any disputes that may arise. Being unregulated, they may also hide behind their incongruous terms and conditions when it comes to large payouts.
To avoid such online casino scams, players should only join licensed, regulated and reputable casinos. Some simple due diligence will reveal if a casino is legal in a particular territory.
- Scrutinise any licence claims. Follow any links back to the UK Gambling Commission website.
- Manually check that the casino holds a valid license on the Gambling Commission’s Public Register.
- Check that the operator has had its games checked for fairness. Look for seals from eCOGRA or iTech Labs.
- Google the casino name and read what other players are saying on forums. Use the search phrase ‘casino name + scam’.
- Is the casino games content from reputable suppliers? See if the major software providers allow its games on the site.
- Click the padlock icon in your browser to assess whether the connection is secure and private.
These steps can help you avoid being scammed on a casino site by identifying the early warning signs in the first place. We talk more about this in our article on how to spot an online casino scam.
Getting Help if you have been Scammed
If you haven’t managed to avoid being scammed in the online casino world then there are some measures you may want to take. You need to protect yourself from further risks, find out if you can get the money back and report the scam.
To protect and avoid further risk, or if you have had your email or social media accounts hacked then UK players can follow this excellent advice on how to recover a hacked account. The essential steps are:
- Contact the service provider.
- Secure your e-mail account.
- Change your passwords.
- Make sure you are logged out from all apps and devices.
- Notify your contacts.
To the above you can add activating two-step authentication when requested, regularly checking your bank statements as well as contacting your local police who may have specific procedures depending on which type of online casino scam has been perpetrated.
Staying Safe from Online Casino Scams
As we have said, even the brightest and best can fall victim to fraud but the optimum way to avoid online casino scams is awareness. Being aware of the types of scams from phishing to fake casino apps, you give yourself a better chance against the scammers.
Always be vigilant about any link you are requested to click or type in and never give out personal information which can be social engineered into stealing your identity. This includes being guarded about what you reveal on social media as well as offline – including messaging apps and phone calls.
Remember to always check whether an online casino is licensed – any operator we review on Scams.Info will be licensed and regulated though if you are a experienced player you should be able to check the important signals for yourself.