Common Payment Scams Targeting Online Poker Players and How to Stay Safe

A risk that is often overlooked when playing online poker offers excitement is the potential for profit for payment scams. As online gambling grows, so does the threat of fraud. Scammers target poker players due to their frequent financial transactions, making them prime targets for fraudulent schemes. Understanding these risks is crucial to safeguarding your funds. This guide will help you identify common payment scams, recognize red flags, and implement strategies to protect your bankroll.

Most Common Payment Scams Targeting Poker Players

Payment scams in online poker can take various forms, with each having its own distinct warning signs. Understanding these scams will help you protect your funds whether you're playing on legal US sites or considering offshore alternatives. Below, we’ve highlighted the most commonly used tricks used by scams and offered advice on how to spot them:

Fake Poker Sites and Phishing Platforms

Fake poker sites mimic legitimate platforms to steal deposits and personal information. These fraudulent sites often appear in search results or social media ads, enticing you with unrealistic bonus offers. Once you deposit your funds, the site will refuse withdrawals and may disappear entirely.

Red Flags Checklist:

Slightly misspelled domain names
Bonus offers that exceed industry standards
Missing or fake licensing information
Poor website quality with spelling/grammar errors
Pressure tactics for immediate deposits

Phishing Emails and Fake Customer Support

Phishing scams involve fraudulent communications where the scammer pretends to be from a legitimate poker site to steal your log in credentials or payment information. Players on regulated sites are often targeted by this scam, as they’re more likely to trust an email from their poker platform. Scammers usually impersonate customer support and request sensitive information under false pretenses, such as the threat of account closure or the confiscation of funds.

Red Flags Checklist:

Urgent language creating time pressure
Requests for sensitive information, such as your password or bank details
Links that don't match official domains
Poor grammar or spelling errors
Unsolicited contact about account issues

Account Takeover and Credential Theft

Account takeover scams involve the scammer gaining unauthorized access to player accounts to steal funds. There are multiple ways these scams can occur, including phishing, database breaches, keylogging malware, and brute force attacks. Reusing the same passwords across poker sites and other websites increases your vulnerability.

To help you keep your account secure, we’ve highlighted some of the steps you can take to prevent these attacks:

Use unique, complex passwords (minimum 12 characters with letters, numbers, and special characters)
Enable two-factor authentication
Never share your login credentials with anyone
Use a password manager
Regularly review your account activity
Log out after each session
Do not allow the site to save your username and password
Update passwords if compromised

Playing on regulated US sites and following security best-practices can eliminate most of the risks you’ll face when playing online.

How to Verify You're Playing on a Legitimate US Poker Site

Playing on regulated US poker sites is the best defense against payment scams. These sites operate under strict state oversight and must meet rigorous security standards, even after receiving their license. Verifying a site's legitimacy before depositing can save you a great deal of money and frustration in the long run.

Verify State Licensing and Regulatory Compliance

Legitimate US poker sites are licensed by state gambling authorities. You can find a poker platform’s licensing information in the site's footer or in the "About Us" section. Legitimate sites display their license numbers and issuing authority prominently, making them easy to find.

US State Licensing Authorities:

At the time of writing, there are only 8 states that offer legal online poker regulated by a local gaming authority. When playing in any of these 8 states, check that site is licensed by one of these gambling authorities:

New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
Michigan Gaming Control Board
Nevada Gaming Control Board
Delaware Lottery
West Virginia Lottery
Department of Consumer Protection (along with two tribal authorities in Delaware)
Rhode Island Lottery Division

Confirm Recognized Payment Methods and Security Features

Regulated US poker sites partner with established payment processors and implement industry-standard security measures, keeping your sensitive details safe when you deposit. In our experience, the best sites offer a variety of payment options, including major credit and debit cards, e-wallets, bank transfers, cryptocurrencies, and prepaid cards..

Each of these payment options has its own security protocols that protect you during each transaction, so choose the banking method that’s best for you.

Security Features Checklist:

In our experience, the safest poker sites will offer a variety of security features that keep you secure while you play. Some of the top features to look out for when evaluating a poker site include:

SSL/TLS encryption (look for HTTPS)
PCI DSS compliance
Two-factor authentication
Geolocation verification
Clear privacy policy
Responsible gambling tools

When you find a site with all of these features, you know that you're playing on a legitimate, regulated platform that protects your account and funds.

What to Do If You've Been Targeted by a Payment Scam

If you fall for a payment scam, quick action can minimize damage and potentially recover funds. The steps you take immediately after discovering fraud are crucial, so it’s important that you don’t panic. When you realize that you’ve been a victim of a scam, stop what you’re doing, take a deep breath, and start to take action.

To help you keep your thoughts straight in this stressful situation, we’ve laid out a practical course of action that you can follow.

Immediate Actions to Take

Contact your bank or payment processor to freeze accounts and dispute charges
Change all passwords on affected accounts
Document everything—take screenshots of transactions and communications
Contact the legitimate poker site if scammers impersonated them

Review all of your financial accounts for suspicious activity and consider placing a credit freeze if personal information was stolen.

Reporting and Recovery Options

Proper reporting increases recovery chances and helps authorities track scammers. Multiple agencies handle different aspects of online fraud, so it's important that you report the crime to each authority.

Where to Report:

Your state's gaming control board
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov)
Federal Trade Commission (IdentityTheft.gov)
Your state's Attorney General consumer protection division
Better Business Bureau Scam Tracker
Your payment processor's fraud department

While taking these steps are the best-possible course of action, it’s important that you’re realistic about your recovery prospects. Funds deposited to fake sites are rarely recovered, but fast action can help prevent the situation from getting worse.

Recommended Regulated US Poker Sites

Playing on regulated US poker sites is the best way to protect yourself from payment scam risks. These sites operate under strict state oversight, maintain segregated player funds, and implement robust security measures that keep you safe while you play.

At legaluspokersites.com, some of the top sites we recommend include:

When choosing your next poker site, remember to check the platform’s licensing status by checking for the license details in the site’s footer.

Stay Safe and Play Smart

Payment scams targeting online poker players are real but largely preventable. By understanding common scam types, such as fake sites, phishing attempts, and account takeovers, you've taken the first step toward protecting your bankroll.

Implementing strong passwords, regular account monitoring, and two-factor authentication is the best way to prevent unwanted access to your accounts. We also recommend only playing on regulated US sites to make sure that your sensitive details remain secure.

Make sure to check out our in-depth reviews to find the most reliable poker sites in your area.

Jordan started writing about poker in late 2020 after discovering he could combine his passion for explaining things with his favorite game. He continues to stay on top of the newest poker theory and the latest goings on in the poker world to deliver top-quality content. While poker is his biggest passion, he also closely follows soccer, snooker, and F1.