Facebook Pro Poker Player Scam Warning
Poker and Facebook can be a great combination, especially for those looking to play for free at a fun site that even allows the under-18 set to play. Add in scammers, though, and you get a very dangerous combination. Recently, a number of Facebook users have been approached by people claiming to be famous poker pros. These scammers have full profiles including pictures of the poker pro, a full bio, and everything necessary to convince an unsuspecting fan that they’re the real deal. And then the trouble starts.
The “pro” tells their fan that they need some cash to play in a tournament. They promise that they’ll pay it back right away. Better yet, they’ll cut their mark in on a piece of the action. The money gets transferred, and then you never see them again. Or worse, they’ll tell you they lost the tournament and need some more cash to get up again. In either case, you can be certain you’ll never see the money again.
Want to see how bad it’s gotten? Do a people search on Daniel Negreanu. There are over 500 people listed under that name, dozens with profile pictures of the real Daniel Negreanu. Same with Phil Ivey. A search for Patrick Antonius yields another dozen or so, while Patrik Antonius without the extra ‘c’ yields about 10. Rest assured. No poker pro is going to approach you on Facebook for a loan. If they need the cash, they all know each other and they can borrow the money from one of their colleagues. Do not be taken in by the scam!
