Charges have been filed against 20 people in Connecticut in relation to a betting scam. The scheme involved using stolen credit card information to open fraudulent accounts with DraftKings.
Through this scheme, court documents show that in excess of $190,000 was stolen from DraftKings.
There was an established pattern to this fraudulent activity. Firstly, the perpetrators utilized identity theft to steal credit card data from people who already had a registered account linked to DraftKings. The stolen credit card data was then used to deposit money into the DraftKings accounts. Minimal wagers would then be placed with DraftKings. Next, the fraudsters quickly withdrew the funds in the account before the victims or the financial institutions involved had time to identify the suspect activity.
Here are the specifics of how the scheme was implemented:
- Someone approaches a person or contacts them online and asks them if they already have a gaming account.
- That person was provided with a credit card linked to a stolen identity and told to make a large deposit to the stolen account.
- After placing a few bets to make the activity appear legitimate, they were told to withdraw the money and deposit it into their own bank account.
- Next, they were directed to transfer most or all of that withdrawal through a payment app to another account controlled by the person who recruited them.
The illegal activity was flagged when the actual account owners began to dispute charges on their accounts. Their financial institution refunded the money, and DraftKings was left on the hook to cover their losses.
All of the credit card data that was stolen was from accounts linked to Wells Fargo bank accounts.
The scheme was in operation during a six-week window in the late summer of 2024, between August 4 and September 15. The fraudulent activity is believed to have been orchestrated from outside of Connecticut. Warrants were issued for the arrest of Manuel Pichardo and Luis Rodriguez. These alleged perpetrators were identified as the primary suspects in the scheme. Both men remain at large.
All 20 people charged in the scam are facing multiple felony and misdemeanor counts. They include first-degree identity theft, second-degree computer crime, illegal use of payment cards, larceny, and conspiracy to commit larceny. If convicted, those charged in this scheme could face prison time, fines, and restitution orders in connection with the alleged financial losses.
A similar fraud scheme was run against FanDuel in Connecticut in 2025
This fraud scheme follows on the heels of a similar scam that saw more than $3 million in funds
defrauded from FanDuel.
Amitoj Kapoor and Siddharth Lillaney of Glastonbury are facing a 45-count indictment, including charges of fraud, identity theft, and money laundering offenses. Both men could be looking at several years in prison if found guilty.
“If someone approaches you and asks you to participate in a ‘business venture’ that sounds like fraud, it probably is,” Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection Gaming Division (DCP) Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli said in a statement.
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