A new tactic in gambling fraud is emerging in Southern Asia—impersonating e-commerce platforms. Scammers develop apps that resemble online shopping services, but users soon discover they are being redirected to betting games.
These apps feature product listings and customer service chatbots, but all transactions are designed to lead users into deposits for games of chance. Some users unknowingly approve betting terms hidden in user agreements.
In Bangladesh, several such apps were found promoting flash sales or cashbacks that were actually betting tokens. The apps collect user data and exploit social engineering to push gambling behavior.
Authorities are now working with Google and Apple to identify and remove disguised gambling apps from their app stores.
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