An elaborate scheme by a sneaky scammer costed two unsuspecting poker players a total of $20,000 online. Users going by the names Grazvydas and James Romero became victims of the classic scam "man in the middle".
A normal scenario in the online world that ended very badly
Two high stakes poker players recently became victims of a scam, and last week it was made known on the poker forum Two P[...] Read more » Sneaky Scammer Intercepts Deal between Two High Stakes Poker Pros, Gets Away with $20K
Joined: May '09
Location: Croatia
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 20415
well what can you say on something like this,then just that every member read whole news and will have everything clear!every fault and mistake are on this players and when they made everything public,they gave all informations to other people!whole mistake is on them cant beleive that they were so stupid not to check more or to do something by phone to make clear everything,to see live viber,skype or anything,then just to send money to other person,even he made just new skype account!
Joined: Sep '19
Location: Peru
Age: 29 (M)
Posts: 5375
We must always be very careful when we want the service of people online, we must make sure that they are reliable, there are several methods to make sure, otherwise we will make an easy target for scammers.
Joined: Jan '14
Location: Romania
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 13302
What an ordinary bastard. Incredible what he could do. The mistake ultimately belongs to the two players but ''i can't believe'' one thing: Americas Cardroom could not do that? maybe, at that change, he charged for trading big commission...
Joined: Feb '11
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 59 (M)
Posts: 5712
Oh dear. One has to be extremely careful about the identity of the other person to whom we think we are sending money to. It is so easy to be scammed and have no recourse but to blame your own foolishness for not checking carefully the details and making sure you have some come back. Watch out watch out....theres a scammer (or many) about!
Joined: May '09
Location: Croatia
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 20415
I also dont understand how they could be so stupid and to check everything and to write everything direct on forum,that all people can see,instead to send private messages,when they knew that they will make deal! so how the hell somebody can make other account on skype,similar to theirs and to contact and that any of them dont see that this is another person! I dont blame this person at all,this is all their mistake!
Joined: Dec '14
Location: Greece
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 2119
I agree with dule-vu , they should have followed a more carefull plan , maybe try to communicate each other more by phone or viber or skype or whatever else , alot , many hours , cause it's $20k , alot of money, not just 1 or 2 dollars , lol . Ofcourse , these transactions for the HS players are sth usual , everyday prosedure maybe , but on the other hand , they should be very carefull . Scammers await in the dark corners of the dark web , for the chance to steal your money .... sneaky bastards ..sneaky thieves !!!!
Joined: Jan '14
Location: Romania
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 13302
Poker rooms must completely ban transfers of money between players or cash transactions with virtual currencies. This mode will no longer endanger security of the bankrolls, that big gamblers have. Hackers are dangerous and scammers as well.
Joined: May '09
Location: Croatia
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 20415
thats why best way is when you can see with whome you talk and on some better ways!its much better when you can do that from poker software and that you dont need to do that from other payments platforms,skrill,visa,whatever! best option is when players want to do something like this,is that poker site make this option for players,but that transfer can be done when both of players made their payments,so that transfer is in same time,not that some player send it and second can do or not to do 5 minutes later,that is must be in same time!on that you couldnt cheat somebody!
Joined: Jan '14
Location: Romania
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 13302
I like that the other player made a great gesture of solidarity and shared this damage of 20.000 dollars. The police must identify this thief who showed talent and managed to fool two more valuable gamblers. I want him to go in jail for few years.
Joined: Oct '09
Location: Canada
Age: 50 (M)
Posts: 23
Yikes!!! I feel bad for the guy. And the other player is a stand up guy for taking half the loss even though he didn't have to. It's amazing the lengths scammers go to rip people off. I really hope they catch the guy/girl responsible. Hopefully it's not someone from the poker world behind this scam. Too many black eyes in the poker world past fews years giving us poker players a bad name.
Joined: Dec '14
Location: Greece
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 2119
I do not like the idea the poker rooms to ban transactions between players calicul , they should allow things to keep on as athey are . Enough problems we have , enough restrictions by states , enough prohibitions .
P2P transactions it's good imo , and it's reversable , so no problem , also if the other transactions , in this case the crypto transaction are reversable , meaning if sth goes wrong and the two parts see this in a reasonable period of time , in one day , they would be able to cancel the transaction .
That's why it's good to have a little delay in the withdrawals from the pokrrooms or casinos or crypto wallets or whtever , you never know what demands maght occur and ask their money back from this account , if I am not wrong . Instant withdrawals , not so good i would say .
Joined: May '09
Location: Croatia
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 20415
I know that this isnt normal situation and this man got free money,but you cant do anything to him,because he didnt forced anybody to give this money to him,its just theirs fault!they didnt check account and man that they talk with,so he just took chance to get free money and what law can punish him?next time they will be careful!
Joined: Jan '14
Location: Romania
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 13302
Every man with his opinion of course but transactions between players should be prohibited, because such friendships should not exist in poker rooms. Collusion is prohibited and it is normal for money transfers between them to be the same.
Joined: Dec '14
Location: Greece
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 2119
I do not know how ecactly these skype chat groups are being organised , this scammer how succeeded in interfering in this transaction .
I have some questiomns , they did understood sth was going wrong very soon , the bitcoins had been transfered , couldn't Romero cancel the transfer of bitcoins from his bitcoin ewallet to the scammer's ewallet account ?? The scammer couldn't have withdrew it so quickly , could he ??
Also for $20K , does it worth to hire a specialist or a lawyer , go tothe police to find this scammer ?? Man , If he's from NA Asia , his salary , poker bankroll , ewallet , everything else , might be $22,22 LWLW , ofcourse the $20K wil be in the hands of a distant cousin or another scammer , who knows , even if they find them , the expenses for lawers and specialists will have to be covered from these 22.22 dollarios , LOLOLOLOLOLOL :d:d:d:d . EVERYONE , ANOTHER TIME MORE CAREFUL
Joined: Jan '14
Location: Romania
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 13302
I don't know what the outcome of this story will be, but i would like to know if thief will be found because he deserves to go in jail. Fooled players will be left with this bitter taste for a long time and this is an ugly situation for they.
Joined: Dec '14
Location: Greece
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 2119
Even if they caught him , there will always be scammers in this kind of transactions or others , most of the times trying to take advantage of the trust or the credulity of one of the trading parties . This time they were both guilty imo , they were bot in a rush to complete the transaction asap , they should have done things more patiently , with thoroughness , with many security measures .
Joined: Jan '14
Location: Romania
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 13302
I have talked in the past about some details about how it should be. All scammers, bots, etc ... will disappear if one thing is done. 30 years in prison for those who commit intentional illegality. A law of this magnitude will stop everything bad.
Joined: May '09
Location: Croatia
Age: 39 (M)
Posts: 20415
so just dont know how all of you think that he will be in some problems,even if they find him!?every fault is on this two players and he did talked with him on skype,so he did send him money,he didnt put gun on his head!so only problem that this isnt moral at all and that he tricked them,but that some other story!
Joined: Dec '14
Location: Greece
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 2119
Yeah man , everything is about penalties . . . if the penalty for this specific action was severe , protected by international laws and agreements between governments , this scammer would think it twice to scam for $20k . Some riminals scam even for $50 ,they do not care nowadays. There are 1B times worse crimes that this , societies anathematize and stigmatize these crimes and their perpetrators , maximum penalty 5 years in prison
Joined: Jan '14
Location: Romania
Age: 44 (M)
Posts: 13302
Hard punishments can solve any inconvenience, but this thing it is not wanted... because we must to be kept in an obvious "terror" on a planetary level of course by those who lead it. Good people do not take action, we are led by villains and for this reason it happens that many people fall victim to thieves.
