Bonus trap: a gang that turned freebets into a criminal business was sentenced in the United States

In the state of Tennessee, a high-profile trial has ended against a criminal group that found an illegal way to "make a stable income" on bookmakers. Five attackers turned standard welcome bonuses for new players into a large-scale fraudulent scheme.

Mechanics of deception

Investigators found out that the gang's activities began back in 2022. The criminals did not rely on luck in betting, but used a systematic approach:

• Buying data: Scammers massively bought confidential information on the black market - personal data and bank card details.
• Identity theft: Among the stolen items were Social Security Numbers (SSNs), which allowed for the creation of completely plausible but fake profiles.
• Multi-accounting: Hundreds of accounts in various bookmakers were registered with this data, which made it possible to endlessly collect welcome bonuses and free bets.

In order not to attract the attention of security systems and expand the scale of the "business", the group constantly toured different states, duplicating the working scheme in new regions.

Payment for "easy money"

Law enforcement agencies managed to fully prove the guilt of all participants. Under the weight of evidence, five defendants confessed to what they had done. The court made a decision based on the role of each in the hierarchy of the group:

1. Leaders: The two organizers of the scheme received the most severe sentences of 36 and 30 months in prison, respectively.
2. Accomplices: The third participant will spend 15 months behind bars.
3. Performers: Two more defendants got off with minimum terms of 6 months each.

This case was another signal for the betting market about the need to strengthen user verification, and for those who like easy money, it was a reminder that bonus hunting using other people's data qualifies as a serious federal crime.