Prosecutors dropped all charges against Sabrina Eddy, a former Monarch Casino Resort and Spa employee at Black Hawk, in connection with Colorado’s $500,000 theft scandal. This decision follows the First Judicial District Attorney Office’s investigation into an extensive scam that targeted Eddy without her knowledge.

Sabrina Eddy Acted in Good Faith

Eddy worked as a casino cage cashier when she was caught on camera taking stacks of cash worth $500,000 from the casino vault in March 2023. But more facts about what happened that night presented another side to this story, reported The Denver Post.

According to reports, Eddy got a call plus texts from supposed high-ranking casino officials instructing her to move the money to an individual posing as a lawyer waiting at some nearby hospital so as not to breach a contract. In trust for the authority figures, she complied with these instructions without knowing they were part of an elaborate plot by international scammers.

Their intricate plan involved getting employees within casinos to transfer funds to individuals posing as representatives authorized by the establishments. Eddy, believing she was acting in the casino’s best interest, handed over the cash to a stranger who claimed to be the attorney in question.

Eddy’s Swift Action Helps Nab Casino Criminal

At some point, Eddy became suspicious and she immediately notified security personnel working there. Because of her quick action another criminal involved in the scheme named Juan Ivan Gutierrez Zambrano was apprehended later pleading guilty.

A warrant for the arrest of a third suspect, who is presumed to be outside the United States, has been issued, but it has been kept confidential. Authorities have chosen not to disclose whether any of the stolen funds have been retrieved.

Though it seemed like an open-and-shut case against Eddy, further investigation revealed evidence that proved her innocence. The prosecutors found out that she acted in good faith without gaining anything from the theft. Therefore, they regarded it as unethical to charge her.

The dismissal of charges marks the end of a tumultuous chapter for Eddy, who endured months of legal uncertainty following her arrest. The revelation of her innocence underscores the vulnerability of casino employees to sophisticated scams and highlights the need for heightened vigilance within the industry.

Monarch Casino Resort and Spa which is located in Black Hawk and is owned by Nevada-based Monarch Casino and Resort Inc., declined to give any comment about the court’s decision. 

The post Former Casino Worker Not Found Guilty in Colorado’s Largest Casino Scam appeared first on Keno Wizard.

A group of four individuals from Illinois is facing charges in connection with a sophisticated baccarat scam that reportedly swindled the Wind Creek Bethlehem casino out of a staggering $300,000. The alleged scheme, involving six individuals in total, unfolded in the early hours of March 13, culminating in the detention of the four accused parties.

Illinois Group Employed Strategic Card Placement and Cellphone Tracking

According to court documents, Zu Lin, Yuhan Hu, Liping Zhou, and Zhencan Chen, all residents of Illinois, were apprehended by authorities following the departure of two other members of their group, Fuxiang Liu, and alleged ringleader Qingyong Zhang, reported local media outlet Lehigh Valley Live. The incident occurred around 7 a.m. at the Wind Creek Gaming Office.

Police reports suggest that the scam commenced shortly before 4 a.m. as the six individuals congregated at a reserved baccarat table on the casino floor. Qingyong Zhang, the purported mastermind, employed various techniques, including strategic card positioning and covert cell phone use, to track the order of cards as the deck was shuffled.

Subsequently, Zhang and Hu temporarily left the gaming area, reconvening at Hu’s hotel room before returning to the table to resume play. At approximately 5:10 a.m., Zhang allegedly signaled for the group to escalate their betting activity, prompting a series of lucrative wins over the ensuing half-hour.

Following their successful stint at the baccarat table, the group dispersed, with Zhang and Liu exiting the premises while the remaining four members engaged in other games within the casino. During interrogation, Hu disclosed that Zhang had compensated him with $5,000 for his participation, with all proceeds from the operation reportedly funneled to Zhang himself.

The Four Members of the Gourp Face Felony Charges

Further investigation revealed prior involvement in similar illicit gambling activities by Hu and Zhou in Illinois and Missouri, respectively. Consequently, the four apprehended individuals are facing felony charges of participation in a corrupt organization. While Lin, Hu, and Chen managed to post bail set at $100,000, Zhou remains in custody at Northampton County Prison.

Notably, the accused individuals, aged between 28 and 51, all hail from Chicago, with Lin being the exception, originating from Mount Vernon, Illinois. Legal representatives for the defendants have yet to provide comment on the matter, leaving lingering questions surrounding the intricate web of deception orchestrated within the confines of the Wind Creek Bethlehem casino.

Baccarat is seemingly a coveted mark for scammers. Recently authorities in Pennsylvania have been actively searching for Jianchu Liu, a 47-year-old Chinese national suspected of involvement in a professional cheating ring targeting baccarat games at casinos across the United States, including Mohegan Pennsylvania. 

Liu’s alleged sophisticated cheating method involved recording card sequences with his cellphone, prompting casino surveillance to identify him. Despite a warrant for his arrest on fraud-related charges, Liu remains at large, and authorities are seeking public assistance in locating him. This incident adds to a series of recent baccarat-related cheating scandals, including accusations against a Mohegan Sun dealer in January.

The post Illinois Group Accused of Defrauding Wind Creek Casino in Baccarat Scam appeared first on Keno Wizard.

Casino operators are often targeted by criminals who attempt to cheat or manipulate the games for their advantage. While some try to cheat, others engage in fraudulent activities such as using fake chips to play. Last year, a massive fraudulent scheme was uncovered in Macau with police authorities seizing nearly 1,000 fake chips. During the police operation, it was uncovered that close to 500 counterfeit casino chips were used at Galaxy Macau Casino.

Now, the Judiciary Police in Macau arrested individuals suspected of being involved in similar activities. Last week, law enforcement was notified by a casino in Cotai City that an inspection uncovered counterfeit casino chips. One of the casino dealers at the venue was conducting a routine check of the chips when they found inconsistencies related to 25 chips that appeared in the bead trays of two gaming tables at once.

This is when the casino uncovered that it was defrauded by a group of individuals who used fake chips. The casino, whose name was not released by the Judiciary Police, found out that the culprits transformed HK$100 ($13) chips into HK$10,000 ($1,300) chips. At least 33 counterfeit casino chips were discovered at the aforementioned casino, causing an estimated loss of HK$1.62 million ($200,000).

Police Arrests Suspects, Continues Investigations

It wasn’t long before suspects were detained in relation to the fraudulent activity. According to the Judiciary Police, four individuals allegedly involved in the activity were detained by the casino’s security guards. Still, the casino identified that more people were involved and notified law enforcement.

Another suspect, believed to be involved in the fraudulent activity was successfully tracked down and detained by the police. All of the detainees are mainland China residents. The five people who were arrested claimed that they acted upon directions given by a higher-ranking member of the criminal group.

Besides the five people arrested, police uncovered that more individuals involved in the fraudulent activity were at large. As a result, three other individuals, labeled as key members of the criminal group, were detained in mainland China through cooperation between the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department and the Zhuhai Criminal Police Detachment.

Overall, eight people allegedly involved in the criminal activity were arrested. Law enforcement confirmed the investigation into the case continues.

The post Macau Casino Chip Scam Results in Arrest of Eight Suspects appeared first on Keno Wizard.

In an unexpected twist, two bitter poker rivals set aside their differences to expose a social engineering scam that exploited their mutual dislike. Benjamin “Blank Check Ben” Lee and “Wes Side” Wesley Fei found themselves embroiled in a complex web of deception. Their journey from rivals to allies in uncovering this elaborate scheme serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers of online fraud.

The Attacker Employed Clever Tactics

The story began on 4 September when a WordPress website titled “Uncovering Wesley” emerged. It claimed to be authored by someone who had fallen victim to a $250,000 cryptocurrency scam involving Wesley Fei in 2022. The blog also alleged that Wesley had sent individuals to burglarize the accuser’s home.

Benjamin Lee, an outspoken rival of Wesley, then received a message from the accuser via Instagram. The victim intended to expose Wesley’s alleged wrongdoings but claimed he first needed financial support as he had supposedly lost his entire life’s savings. Initially, Lee trusted his instincts and declined to get involved.

Lee’s Resistance Gradually Eroded as He Sent More Funds

A few months later, the accuser approached Lee again, revealing that Wesley had offered him $35,000 to unveil Lee as the “instigator of a character assassination campaign.” Concerned about the potential damage to his reputation, Lee decided to wire the other person $2,500, believing he was also an innocent victim.

The situation only escalated from there. The alleged victim presented himself as Russell Thamer, a London-based financial recruiter, and demanded more money. He offered evidence of Wesley’s involvement in immigration fraud for $100,000. Despite initial hesitation, Lee relented. However, Thamer pressed on, claiming he was facing threats, possibly from associates of Wesley.

He manipulated me with a victim story that exploited my sympathy and strong hatred for injustice. He also took advantage of my personal dislike for Wesley.

Benjamin “Blank Check Ben” Lee

Fearing for his safety, Lee hired a security firm and transferred an additional $28,000 in cryptocurrency to Thamer. However, the poker pro had grown suspicious, deciding to share his experiences with Ryan Feldman, co-owner of Hustler Casino Live. As Lee and Wesley compared notes, the two players discovered they had been manipulated against each other and that the supposed evidence did not exist.

The Scammer Is Still at Large

Thamer had attempted similar tactics on Wesley, who fortunately did not fall victim to the scam. In response to his role in the deception, Lee publicly apologized to Wesley. The two players’ shared ordeal brought them closer, and they have since put aside their differences and forged a budding friendship as viewers eagerly await their return on Hustler Casino Live.

I have already twice apologized to Wesley for my part in all this. His reputation has suffered for no reason other than that I was gullible enough to be manipulated by a fraudster.

Benjamin “Blank Check Ben” Lee

According to Lee’s latest tweets, Thamer continued to blackmail him, threatening to increase incriminating information. This ongoing story presents a stark reminder of the dangers of online fraud and social engineering, proving that nobody is safe from manipulation. However, the events also demonstrate the importance of vigilance and collaboration in uncovering and combating such fraudulent schemes.

The post Poker Rivals Fall Victim to Social Engineering Scam appeared first on Keno Wizard.

PointsBet USA, the division of the famous Australia-based sports and gaming entertainment company PointsBet, announced late on Thursday that it temporarily halted its system email communications after a third-party provider sent emails involving cryptocurrency. The company admitted that an email sent in the morning by a provider, which name wasn’t disclosed, contained communication that wasn’t official.

The popular betting provider urged its customers to delete the aforementioned email. Additionally, PointsBet asked its users not to click on any links within the message or to respond to it. At the time, the company said that the temporary halt of email communication will be in effect “until the matter has been fully resolved” with the third-party provider.

Less than two hours after the initial statement released via Twitter, PointsBet identified the issue as a “phishing attempt.” As with similar threats, phishing attacks target customers by offering different prizes and in this case, crypto was involved.

Reportedly, the culprits sought to lure customers by asking to receive crypto. In exchange, they were promised that the funds in their crypto accounts would be doubled. Recently, PointsBet hinted that it plans to exit the US and North America. Still, the company is yet to make a move in that direction.