Kansas has been targeted by a new social media scam impersonating several casinos in the state.
Local gambling institutions such as the Kansas Star, Prairie Band, and Winstar have been used by scammers who have put fake advertisements on social media sites like Facebook to get users to follow the links.
Among other benefits promised, the ads offer users a welcome bonus of up to $1,500 if they click through and sign up for an account. However, instead of being directed to the legitimate casino website, users are taken to a fake casino which simply steals their deposits.
if you click on it and deposit your money to become a winner, you’ll become a loser.”
Local media outlet KWCH-12’s Factfinder service reported that the ads were appearing daily to residents in Kansas and were highly convincing. One local stated: “They’re always new ones for new casino. It doesn’t matter what casino it is, if you click on it and deposit your money to become a winner, you’ll become a loser.”
There has been a growing concern over fake gambling ads, which have increased considerably as the global trend towards regulated, legal betting has continued. At the end of 2024, a warning was issued over fake AI-generated advertisements originating from Egypt, but which quickly spread to Europe and the Middle East.