Adam Roarty is a journalist covering sports betting, regulation, and industry innovation for CasinoBeats. His coverage includes tax increases in the UK, covering breaking stories in the ever-evolving landscape of US betting such as the...
Read Full BioThe Department of Consumer Protection Gaming Division (DCP) in Connecticut has issued a warning to residents that they risk criminal charges if they participate in a scam involving DraftKings.
The scam operates by targeting users through TikTok and other social media platforms, advertising that you can make money if you have a DraftKings account.
After responding to the ad, the scam artists contact users to gather their DraftKings account details, from which money is deposited using stolen credit cards.
The user is then instructed to withdraw the money to other accounts, transferring the majority of the funds to those orchestrating the scam while retaining some of the money.
Users Risk Arrest if Involved
The DCP warns that anyone participating in the scheme risks not only their own personal information and money, but also being arrested and charged. So far, the agency has noted that 15 individuals have been arrested, with additional arrests pending.
It issued a statement detailing how the scam works:
- Someone approaches you, either in person or through social media, and asks you to open a gaming account if you don’t already have one.
- They then provide you with a credit card and instruct you to make a large deposit into your gaming account. The credit cards are linked to stolen identities.
- After briefly participating in gaming activity, they instruct you to withdraw the money and deposit it into your own account.
- You will then be instructed to transfer all or a portion of that withdrawal via a payment app, such as Zelle, to a new account, often held by the original person who contacted you. This person keeps most of the funds.
DCP Gaming Director Kris Gilman warned, “This is fraud, and a felony. The organizers of these schemes will promise you won’t get caught, but that’s clearly not true. Identity theft and computer crimes are traceable. The message is clear: do not participate in this scam.”
Earlier this year, Arizona’s gambling regulator similarly warned residents to be vigilant of online gambling scams, particularly ones that promise guaranteed free money.
Gilman added, “You’ll be promised money for nothing when, in reality, you’ll be paid much less than promised, if anything at all. On top of that, you’ll be left with a felony warrant for your arrest. Never attempt to fund your online gaming account with a bank account that is not your own, and do not share your online gaming account credentials with anyone.”
Users Who Participated Last Year Now Face Charges
Some participants in the scheme have been identified and arrested. The warrants state that the investigation uncovered an alleged scheme involving various DraftKings accounts, stolen credit card information, and more than $190,000 in fraudulent activity between August 4 and September 15, 2024.
| Name | Age | Location | Alleged involvement |
|---|
| Skyler Corte‑Real | 26 | Danbury | One of the first charged (Oct 15 2025). Allegedly made deposits of about $11,850 using stolen card info, withdrew $11,096 on same day. Charges: 1st-degree identity theft, computer crime; 2nd-degree larceny. |
| Miguel Ventura | 26 | Danbury | Alleged deposit $6,850, then withdrawals. Charges: 2nd-degree identity theft, 2nd-degree computer crime, 3rd-degree larceny. |
| Roger Jimenez | 27 | Danbury | Alleged deposit $7,300, withdrew $8,000, kept $2,000 per instructions to forward $6,000. Charges: 3rd-degree larceny, conspiracy. |
| Raheem Richards | 33 | Danbury | Allegedly deposited $9,200 using stolen-card details, then withdrew funds. Charges: 2nd-degree identity theft, computer crime, 3rd-degree larceny. |
| Eduarda Colares | 23 | Newtown | Alleged deposit $8,800 using someone else’s card, withdrawal to her bank. Charges: 1st-degree identity theft, 2nd-degree computer crime, 3rd-degree larceny. |
| Isamar Tejada | 29 | Bethel | Allegedly deposited $9,500 using stolen info, withdrew and transferred to boyfriend’s account. Charges: 2nd-degree identity theft, 2nd-degree computer crime, 3rd-degree larceny. |
| Isael Tejada | 29 | Bethel | Relative of Isamar; allegedly used card-info to deposit $9,200, then withdrew. Charges: 1st-degree identity theft, 2nd-degree computer crime, 3rd-degree larceny. |
| Samantha Peña | 29 | Danbury | Allegedly deposited $9,500; withdrew and Zelle-transferred $7,500 to co‐defendant Isael Tejada. Charges: 1st-degree identity theft, 2nd-degree computer crime, 3rd-degree larceny. |
| Jamar Peterson | 29 | Danbury | Allegedly deposited $9,500 via stolen‐card, withdrew to his bank account. Charges: 2nd-degree identity theft, 2nd-degree computer crime, 3rd-degree larceny. |
| Lengny Vasquez | 23 | Danbury | Allegedly instructed another participant how to transfer funds and keep a $1,000 cut; one of the newer arrests. Charges: identity theft/computer crime/larceny. |
The most serious of the charges, first-degree identity theft, carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $15,000. Other charges carry possible prison sentences of up to 10 years and fines of up to $10,000.
All those listed were participants who gave their DraftKings account details to the orchestrators of the scam. The orchestrators have not been charged as yet. News Times reports that one of the participants, Miguel Ventura, told investigators “he was not ‘ratting’ on anyone.”
