Skip to main content

How to protect against online gambling scams: expert advice

20 May 2014

How to protect against online gambling scams: expert advice

The allure of money for nothing is too great for many, especially if the options are freely available on a computer or mobile device. It’s no wonder then that online casinos and betting on horse races has become so popular. But just like in the real-world betting industry, legitimate online businesses exist side by side with scams that make use of spam mailings to reach their potential targets. To help protect against those scams Kaspersky Lab has compiled a list of recommendations for those who like gambling online.    

Online casino

Spam advertising online casinos is sent in all the major languages used online, but most of it is in English. The fraudulent websites advertised in spam are predominantly hosted in countries where gambling is legal, but the site will be accessible to users all over the world. This suits the fraudsters because it will be difficult for victims to find the owners of a website that has already disappeared from the Internet and was registered in a different part of the world.

How to spot an illegal site

  • Scammers use cheap domain zones such as net, biz, info.
  • Illegal casinos operate without a license
  • Scammers use spam to advertise their sites (unlike legal online casinos)
  • Fraudulent casinos are usually created shortly before spam mailings and have a short lifespan

Horse racing

Email messages devoted to betting on horse racing are another type of fraud that is particularly popular with “gambling” spammers. Sweepstake-related spam is especially widespread in Japan, but also increasingly popular in the US and Russia. In order to receive an accurate prediction, the potential client usually has to make an advance payment. The site promises to reimburse any losses if the prediction is wrong, but, of course, that doesn’t happen.

The criminals use a similar approach in alleged match-fixing scams that invite users to pay for information about “guaranteed” winners.

“If you gamble online, try to follow these simple rules. First, never register at websites that are advertised in spam. Second, only place bets on reputable sites – check the Internet for user reviews. Third, ignore email letters that claim, for example, that you have been randomly selected as a lottery winner,” commented Tatyana Kulikova, Senior Spam Analyst at Kaspersky Lab.

More information about “gambling spam” can be found at securelist.com.

How to protect against online gambling scams: expert advice

How to protect against online gambling scams: expert advice
Kaspersky logo

About Kaspersky

Kaspersky is a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company founded in 1997. Innovating the industry with a Cyber Immunity approach, Kaspersky safeguards consumers, businesses, critical infrastructure, and governments from cyberthreats, with over a billion devices protected to date.

Kaspersky ensures Cybersecurity True to Business, focusing on providing clear outcomes, protecting revenue, easing workloads and preventing downtime. Kaspersky’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into innovative solutions and services for organizations of every size, from small businesses to large enterprises, combining proven AI-driven protection technologies with simple management and expert support.

Recognized in independent tests and trusted by millions of individuals worldwide and nearly 200,000 organizations, Kaspersky helps detect threats earlier, respond faster and operate with greater confidence and freedom, protecting what matters most to our clients. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.

Related Articles Press Releases