Officials at Jake's 58 are warning Long Islanders about a scam attempting to spoof the casino through an online gambling scheme.
They said they were made aware of fraudulent online posts claiming to offer online gambling services affiliated with the casino, even though Jake's 58 officials said they do not provide any form of online gambling.
"If anybody in New York State is asking you to bet on poker, blackjack, or any slot-type machines on your computer, it's illegal and you can't do it," Suffolk OTB President and CEO Phil Boyle said. "It's a scam. They're going to take your money."
In New York, online casino gambling is illegal even though it is legal to place wagers on sports, horse racing and play the state lotto.
Casino officials said they are not affiliated with any websites, apps or platforms that claim to offer these online gambling services.
“We immediately started investigating to find out what was going on," Boyle said. "It’s a scam company. They’ve not just hit us but other casinos downstate.”
Officials urged people not to click any suspicious links or download any related content.
"Anything that seems friendly and that catches you off guard, unless it's actually from a friend of yours, is probably looking to scam you," TechRadar Editor-at-Large Lance Uhlanoff said.
Below are two examples of the scam:
Port Jefferson Station's Debbie Cicciaro was one of many Long Islanders who got the fake advertisement on Facebook but said she never clicked it and eventually saw from Jake's 58 that it wasn't legitimate.
"As I was scrolling on Facebook, I saw it," she said. "There are a lot of crazy people out there trying to get people."
Experts say anyone who may have clicked a link, shared personal information, or given money should contact police to make a report and help with their investigation.