Las Vegas casinos like Circa are not the only casinos in the country that are concerned about a recent scam preying on casino cage employees.
The alleged culprit behind scams at Circa, Erik Gutierrez, apparently also pulled similar schemes at Eureka Casino in Mesquite and Golden Nugget Casino in Laughlin.
Casinos across the US are on high alert after the news broke. Accordingly, the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) issued a “be on the lookout” (BOLO) for tribal casinos.
The BOLO said the attempted scam extends beyond just the three casinos in the Gutierrez incident. Several casinos across the nation have received similar phone calls to the cage attempting to convince employees to withdraw cash.
Per the BOLO, the scam involves someone calling the cage and claiming there is some sort of emergency requiring cash from the cage taken to a third party or a Bitcoin ATM. Some of these callers are using AI to replicate the voice and appearance of casino management.
The BOLO provided a specific example of an incident where someone impersonating a tribal official claiming money is necessary immediately to ensure important equipment is shipped. Part of the scam is to keep the victim on the phone for the duration of the transaction.
The statement warned of four things to be on the lookout for:
Scammers pretending to be someone of authority
Scammers will create urgency
Scammers may use intimidation and fear
Scammers use untraceable payment methods
