Online Scam Using Western Union: What to Look For

Online gambling has seen its share of problems over the years. Now, it has one more. According the Off Shore Gambling Association, there is a particular online scam going on that involves the use of Western Union money transfers. Those who play online for money should be aware of this scam.

Many of those who gamble online have used Western Union in the past as a safe and secure way to transfers funds. Western Union is used to both send and receive funds and it operates worldwide. According the report from Off Shore Gambling Association, some players have been contacted by people who claim to be agents or customer service representatives from various well-known gaming sites. The so-called agent tells these individuals that they are eligible for some very attractive incentives if they make a deposit. In some cases, individuals were told that they could get as much as a 150 percent bonus. Needless to say, the people pretending to be agents or reps were not associated with the gaming site at all.

The news of this scam broke when one person who was called tried to use the 800 number that he had been given and was never able to get an answer when he called. This made him suspicious and he called another (verified) number to the gaming site in question and was told that they were not offering any such bonus and they had not authorized any of their employees to contact players asking for deposits.

The bottom line is that anyone who is contacted by a gaming site to make a deposit via Western Union should immediately contact the gaming site and inquire as to whether or not the call is legit or not. When speaking with the so-called agent, try to get a phone number, telling them you will call back later. If they refuse to give a number, you know something is wrong. If you do get a number and call it, but no one answers or it remains busy for excessive amount of time, chances are they are not who they say they are.

If contacted by one of these people, it is also a good idea to contact the gaming site directly and ask if they have in their employ the person who called you. You may also want to ask the gaming site how they think the person got access to your information such as name, phone number, etc. Gaming sites need to be notified if there is a breach in their internal security as soon as possible. It is also a very good idea to change your password at the site as soon as possible, too. This can help protect you from having strangers enter your account.

No response has been issued by Western Union yet, and perhaps one is not forthcoming. As always, it is up to the online gambler to ensure his or her own safety when making money transfers, whether it is through Western Union or some other company. It is your money, protect it.