188bet stole my money and refused to help

[188betvictim]

Hello everyone.
I would like to share with you awful experience I had with this bookmaker.
I had my account for over 3 years and for all this period I used my account for sport betting only, few times I played blackjack but never played Poker or any other games and everything was fine till November 2014.

In 2014 November I was quite lucky and won few bets and had balance around 2000GBP.
I used my account nearly every day from my mobile and home PC only.
On the 9.11.2014 I placed bets in the late evening and balance was around 1800, then next day 10.11.2014 in the evening I checked my account and I only had 6GBP.

I was very surprised and immediately I spoke with Customer Service via Chat. I've been told that someone created subaccount in poker room and lost all my money but I don't have to report this to Police(as I want it) and they will investigate this case and I will get respond in 3 days.
After 3 days they said I have to wait few more days and then after I push them via chat on the 15.11 I received email:
"We are writing to you with regard to your account concern. Please be informed that our relevant department is still checking your concern. Kindly wait for our update via your registered email address once feedback is available."

Then 20.11 another email:
"We are writing to you with regard to your account concern. As per advice by our relevant department, please change your log in password to your 188bet account since we do not have control over any unauthorized usage of your account on your end. Please also keep your personal details confidential at all times.

Moreover, please be informed that your account is required to undergo verification before we can reactivate it again. Kindly refer to the email sent to you about the documents being requested to complete the verification process."

After I ask them what happened with my balance they replayed:

"We refer to your communications and complaint regarding your account. Please be advised that we are abided by our rules and as per our Terms and Conditions:

Customer shall take the responsibility and liability for all activities and transactions that take place through the use of your name, account number, username, password (or any combination thereof) regardless of whether such transactions were authorized by the owner.

In this regard, we regret that the decision of our business still remains."


Then I send them few more emails asking what happened but they refused to explain, they refused to provide iP address of this person who allegedly lost my money, they removed all history from Poker room and I never could not see any details of these transaction at all.

Now I ask CS to send copy of Chat transcript I had with them and they want 10GBP per each transcript, they also refused to provide history of transactions.

I'm highly disappointed by the way they treated me and by lack of any help at all from them.

I don't understand how could it happened and even if someone stole my login and password he must have logged in from some iP address which could be tracked down but they just refuse to cooperate and seems to protect thief and not their customers.
I also don't understand why someone would loose my money in Poker room and what for.
I have many other online accounts and somehow none of them was hacked.

For me it looks like 188bet didn't like these few wins I had and decided to shrink my balance to 6GBP which is a crime.

I really do not know what to do and how should I talk with them. Any advise will be very appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Trevrizent]

Assuming that no one with access to your PC or mobile device has logged into your account and gambled your funds away, then it looks as if, unfortunately, you have been a victim of cybercrime. Given that 188Bet seem unwilling to help you any further, I think that contacting the police is your only option.

 

[quincunx]

Assuming no dishonesty from 188bet,here,it looks as if someone has hacked your account,and got the money out by losing at poker online to someone else [who would be associated with them] - thus bypassing the safeguards of only repaying money to the source/account it came from [be that a bank account or Skrill account] supported with passport and utility bill ID evidence.Sadly,it is sometimes possible to hack into mobile connections - depending on where you were calling from and how secure the connection was.If that happened,then 188bet don't have the money.
188bet offer competitive odds,and work off thin margins.They can't afford to start investigating who hacked your account.Also,even if the hacker got caught [they are normally clever] it is doubtful you would get money back.188bet could suspend the account of the winning poker player,but they've probably withdrawn the money and could easily open a new account under a different name.
Sadly,this is an ongoing risk if you bet using mobiles,especially if you place card gaming bets.

 

[Trevrizent]

The sequence of events Quincunx describes seems the most likely explanation for what has happened here, namely that your account was hacked when you logged in from your mobile device and the fraudsters then proceeded to siphon off your funds. However, if 188Bet are unwilling or unable to help you any further, then I still think it would be worth your while to report this matter to the UK police's national cyber-crime body (actionfraud.police.uk/) - 188Bet are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission in respect of their UK customers, so your case should be within the UK police's jurisdiction. I agree with Quincunx that you are highly unlikely to get any of your money back, but there is just a chance that the police may be able to track down the perpetrators (188Bet will be obliged to cooperate fully with any police investigation and will have to reveal what details they have about the account(s) into which your funds disappeared).