Common Online Poker Scams

The unfortunate truth about online poker is that it’s filled with some of the bigger scum bags who inhabit the earth. Because of the out of sight out of mind nature of the internet and the money associated with online poker, the game has naturally attracted some pretty clever scam artists over the years. You need to be aware of some of the common scams and know how to avoid them. Unfortunately when you get ripped off on the internet, there is usually little if any recourse you can take to recover what was taken. This article will focus on a few of the more common scams in the online poker world and give you the information you need to avoid them.

Player to player transfers

Because of legislation in the United States, it has become difficult for American player to  bank with some of the more common poker sites. Even though these sites accept American players, they don’t always have the best deposit and cash out methods. Because of this, players have had to turn to what are called “player to player transfers.” A transfer  usually involves a player transferring money to another player on one site in return for money on another site or payment processing service like paypal. You will find requests for player to player transfers on almost every poker forum on the internet. The reason you need to be aware of them is because often times these are scam artists looking to rip people off. The only intention they have is collecting money from you and then never making a transfer back. Here are a few things you can do to avoid being ripped off through a player to player transfer:

  • Don’t engage in them or request to be part of one. Find a different way to deposit or cash out, player to player transfers are just generally bad news
  • If you must however do one, make sure it is from a reputable source or from someone you know. Several forums have ratings systems for players who have done transfers before, request them only from the best sources. Remember though, your best source for a player to player transfer is a close friend or someone you know personally
  • Request that the money be sent in small amounts, that way if you are to be ripped off, it is only for a small amount. Most scammers won’t want to do small amounts because they realize it does them little good.
  • Be wary of people who play the part really well. Watch out for them saying things like “hang on a sec, just finishing another transfer up right now” or anything else that makes it sound like they do this all the time. They are trying to build a false sense of security for you.

Email scams

Among the most dangerous of scams that you will find associated with online poker are email scams. Usually what happens is you will receive an email indicating that you have to update or change your security settings at a given poker site or payment processor. The emails look 100% legitimate and almost always take you to a site that looks exactly like the real thing. The problem is these are sham sites that a hacker has set up from which to steal your account information. Once you have responded to the email and entered your information, before you know it all your money will be gone. There is a real simple way to avoid these types of scams and that is simply through knowledge. Online poker sites and payment processors will NEVER ask you for your username or password for any reason in an email. If you receive an email asking for such information, simply put it in the trash and move on. Be aware that the thieves are clever and they will try and send you scam emails from several popular companies. Here is a list of ones to watch out for:

  • Any online poker site that you are part of
  • Paypal
  • Neteller
  • Moneybookers
  • Large US banks such as Citicorp, US Bank or HSBC

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