Don't Fall Prey to Scams

Fact: There will always be people trying to scam money out of people who are trying to win money. It just seems that some folks who are looking for guarantees to win "money for nothing" are easy targets for scam artists who prey upon their gullibility.

The casino gambling industry is loaded with people seeking to make money off "pie in the sky" gamblers. Gambling creates the perfect climate for taking advantage of people who believe that "inside info" not only exists but is for sale.

Perhaps you've been the recipient of a letter trying to sell you a "get rich quick" gambling system for a relatively reasonable price. They're pretty much all the same: The offer of a guaranteed, sure-fire way to beat the casinos out of their money or your money back.

C.J. of Manhattan, Ill. received one recently. C.J. forwarded the packet to this columnist with the following note:

"Enclosed is an ad my husband received in the mail. It came in a plain brown envelope with no return address on it. It was postmarked Brooklyn, New York. Boy, is this a sham or what?.....I would sooner take the $25.00 it cost for this information and play the slot machines. It's a shame people try to make money with this kind of scam."

You're absolutely, right, C.J. Congratulations for seeing through the absurdity of this solicitation. Unfortunately, there are enough people out there who don't see through it and make the purveyors of this garbage rich.

The purported originator of this particular scheme, "The Magic Triangle Slots System", is someone named Robert Edwards. The mailing address is "Gemini Press" in New York, New York, but the request is that checks be made payable to Robert Edwards. I called directory assistance in New York. They had no listing for a Gemini Press.

The claims made in the information are truly incredible: "How to rob slot machines legally....Join thousands of people who are regularly winning up to $1,000 in just a few hours....Never lose at slots again! Guaranteed!...Use your small starting amount to win up to $2,000 every weekend".

Furthermore, Mr. Edwards writes: "...I will explain all the details you need to walk into any casino with $30 in your pocket, find the right slot machine, and proceed to easily win hundreds of dollars!...You have $100,000 a year to gain - and nothing to lose!"

The packet includes a money back guarantee plus $5.00 extra, even though Edwards claims "I haven't had to make a refund yet!".

Common sense should tell anyone receiving this in the mail that it is totally lacking in credibility. In order to buy into this system, you have to believe that slot machines are "rigged" and you have to be totally unaware of the true random nature of slot machine play.

People who prey on other people with this and similar claims to instant riches make their money on volume. Say, for example, that the mailing went to 100,000 people. If only 10 percent of the people respond with a check, you're talking $250,000. If one percent of the recipients buy it, Edwards will collect $25,000.

The so-called "magic triangle" system is based on a flawed premise in that it claims to be able to divert money gambled on slot machines out of the casino's coffers and into the "system player's pocket". That's not only false, it's impossible.

If you are an informed gambler, you know the only ways to arm yourself for casino play are wise money management and a thorough knowledge of the games and optimum playing strategies. Period.

Slot machines are not games of chance capable of being manipulated. They are "electronic gaming devices" governed by computer programs that are guaranteed to pay a set percentage of money back to players as a collective group and guaranteed to make money for the casino.

The information contained in the packet really amounts to fraud. There's probably some legal loophole that exists for the "scam makers" to avoid prosecution, but I don't know what it is. I do know this: When you get one in the mail, read it for amusement purposes only and then toss it in the trash.

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