Gambling fraud rings in Bangladesh are increasingly shifting operations to WhatsApp, using closed groups to recruit and manage bettors. Users are added through personal invitations, often by friends or acquaintances who receive referral bonuses.
Once inside, participants are encouraged to bet on sports or lottery outcomes. Admins operate anonymously, and winnings are rarely paid out. When victims complain, they are removed from the group.
The private nature of WhatsApp makes it difficult for regulators to track these operations. Law enforcement is now coordinating with telecoms to trace patterns of fraud linked to mass group creation and suspicious financial transfers.
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