Scam calls on the rise

The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) has released a public service announcement warning of an uptick in scam calls pretending to be from the gaming sector.

People in the state have been targeted by scammers claiming to be from the ADG, the Indian Gaming Commission, and other regulatory bodies in an effort to convince them to hand over their funds.

national gaming regulatory agencies will never call a patron to alert them of a ‘win’ or ‘sweepstakes.’”

The press release states: “Legitimate organizations such as the ADG, its partner Tribal gaming regulators, and national gaming regulatory agencies will never call a patron to alert them of a ‘win’ or ‘sweepstakes.’”

“If someone claims to work for one of these organizations and makes any demands or threats relevant to the information above, they are a scammer.”

The two types of scam calls

The ADG said that two types of scams were on the rise: business, government, or job impersonation scams, and “You’ve Won” scams.

In the former, the ADG warns that scammers “might claim that there’s been fraud detected on your accounts and that your money is at risk. To resolve the issue, they may instruct you to send money or cryptocurrency.

For the latter, the ADG instructs people to be aware of “a call, letter, email, or text saying that you have won.”

“They advise that there are fees, taxes, or customs duties to pay. Then, they ask for your credit card number or bank account information. In some cases, they might even ask you to pay with cash, gift cards, wire transfers, or cryptocurrency.”

Department of Gaming issues advice

The ADG goes on to advise people to “Keep your money safe and secure, pass the information along to others, and report the scammer immediately,” before listing a series of steps to prevent being scammed.

They are to verify information, remain skeptical, secure personal information, consult trusted individuals, and report suspicious activity.

no legitimate business is going to demand you send cryptocurrency in advance”

Finally, the ADG advises people to always treat requests for cryptocurrency as illicit. “No legitimate business is going to demand you send cryptocurrency in advance – not to buy something, and not to protect your money. That’s always a scam.”