Poker Pros Targeted in San Diego Fraud Ring Scam

An organized fraud ring operating out of San Diego has been confirmed to be behind a series of thefts from the bank accounts of 50-100 poker professionals. Todd Witteles, owner of the PokerFraudAlert forum, was an early victim, losing $10,000 from his bank account on October 20, 2022.

Joseph Cheong, a HighStakes ambassador, reported that his bank account was debited $9,800 via eCheck to deposit into BetMGM Poker and BetMGM Casino, platforms he did not even have an account with. Other prominent figures in the poker community, including Kathy Liebert, Melissa Burr, Kyna England, and Brock Wilson, also lost considerable sums to the gang.

Chance Kornuth reported that two accounts were made in his name, and Phil Galfond helped players cancel their Global Payments VIP account, which was the source of the data leak. Global Payments services financial transfers for much of the American online gambling industry and was discovered to have security issues.