Your personal data may be under threat: The growing risk of virtual gambling

Marmara University Faculty of Communication Lecturer and Digital Communication Researcher Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Murat Kırık stated that these sites, which have become particularly widespread in recent years, attract users with the promise of 'high earnings'.

Stating that "there are significant personal data risks associated with signing up for and transacting on these sites," Kırık said, "To sign up for illegal virtual betting sites, it is generally necessary to share personal information such as name, surname, Turkish ID number, email address, and phone number.

This information can be seized by third parties in the event of a data breach or misuse by the sites. This situation can lead to many problems such as users being defrauded, identity theft, and credit card theft," he said.

YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION IS IN DANGER

Pointing out that virtual betting sites generally allow money transfers via methods such as credit cards, bank transfers, or cryptocurrencies, Kırık said, "These methods can threaten the security of users' accounts. For example, if credit card information is compromised, users can be defrauded through large-scale money transfers."

Drawing attention to the risks regarding the infrastructure of these sites, Kırık concluded his words as follows:

"The fact that virtual betting sites use a common infrastructure is another risk factor. In this case, a data breach occurring on one site can also put the data of users on other sites at risk. Engaging in or facilitating illegal betting is a crime in Turkey.

Furthermore, illegal virtual betting fraud refers to actions taken by illegal virtual betting sites to deceive users. These actions are generally carried out with the aim of seizing users' money or personal information.

Coupon fraud is at the forefront of these. In this method, users are told they have a winning coupon and are asked to deposit a certain amount of money to withdraw their winnings. However, this coupon is usually fake, and users cannot withdraw their money after depositing it.

On illegal virtual betting sites, users are asked to deposit a certain amount of money or send documents to withdraw money after a winning coupon. However, users cannot withdraw their money after depositing funds or sending documents. These individuals may even cause data theft and the use of identity information through illegal channels."

News Source: 12punto