Wind Creek Casino security, police make arrest in rewards cards scam
Bethlehem PA June 9 2022 A 35-year-old Pottsville man in early January used rewards cards from at least 26 people to steal more than $2,500 in credits and win more than $1,600 on Wind Creek Casino slot machines in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania State Police report.
The man was charged Tuesday with 63 third-degree felonies, including theft, identity theft and access device fraud, court papers say.
The morning of Jan. 5, casino security had an eye on the man because of previous concern about possible rewards card thefts, police said. The man was using another person’s rewards card at a slot machine and was using his phone to look up information about that victim on a public information website, police said.
When questioned by security personnel, the man said he didn’t have any rewards cards, that he left the one he was using on top of a slot machine, police said. But when searched, 11 players’ cards that did not belong to him were found in the man’s jacket, police said.
Casino surveillance did a three-day search of the man’s activities between Jan. 3 and 5 at the casino and learned he used rewards cards from 26 patrons and one MySands card and withdrew $2,588 in free play credits, police said. He subsequently printed 18 vouchers from slot machines and cashed them out for $1,611.74, police said.
The man used other patrons’ cards 147 times, did 205 balance inquiries and downloaded free play 44 times, police said.
Two patrons were especially hard hit — one for $1,804 in credits and the other for $529 in credits, police said. Most of the cards — which require PINs to access — yielded no rewards for the man, police said. The victims were reimbursed by the casino, police said.
It’s not clear how the man figured out the PINS, but a clue may be in his searching for personal information on the players whose cards he stole, police said.
People are often warned not to use birthdays, addresses or other easily obtainable information when creating a personal identification number.
Authorities in March attempted to contact all the victims and several said they didn’t know the man and did not give him permission to use their cards. A few said they left their cards at the casino.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled 10:15 a.m. Aug. 5 in Central Court in Easton, records say. Court papers don’t list an attorney for the man, who did not appear to be in custody in Pennsylvania.
