French Police Nab Casino Fraudsters Using Camera and Earpiece

Two men accused of cheating were recently arrested at the Casino Barrière Enghien-les-Bains in Paris, France. Law enforcement said that the method used by the two men was unique and enabled them to win tens of thousands of euros per night in casinos all across Europe.

Cheating on the casino floor is considered an offense in many European countries. Still, punishments vary, and cheating can be subject to fines, probation or short-term imprisonment, as well as a permanent ban from casino gambling.

The two detainees are suspected of being a part of a large-scale cheating syndicate that operates across the Old Continent. Yet, prior to uncovering accomplices or obtaining confession the duo’s role in a large-scale operation cannot be confirmed.

As of the moment, they are being investigated for collaborating to cheat casinos by gaining unfair advantage. Stéphane Piallat, the head of the Central Racing and Gaming Service, deemed the cheating scheme “complex.” She also acknowledged the importance of fighting attempts for fraud and cheating. Piallat encouraged gambling operators to take action against such attempts and prevent cases like this one from occurring.

An Elaborate Cheating System That Used Electronic Devices

Per local media reports, the two men, suspected of being involved in the elaborate cheating system were arrested late last month. A police investigation helped identify the duo that cheated an unknown number of casinos out of thousands of Euros per visit. To identify and capture the suspected culprits, law enforcement used specialized surveillance.

The police investigation uncovered that one of the two men engaged in card games such as poker. The man allegedly used a microscopic earpiece that was so small a magnet was used for its extraction. At the same time, the same person would leave a smartphone on the gaming table. But that device had a special wide-angle microscopic camera that enabled it to see the cards being dealt.

The video feed captured by this modified device was then transmitted to the second person who sat in a car outside the casino. The second culprit would then give hints to the player who gambled, allowing him to gain an unfair advantage.

French law enforcement said that this was the first such case ever recorded in the country. It is unknown how many casinos across France and Europe have fallen victim to the fraudulent activity.