I can sort of, to a point, understand a business getting p*ssed off when they are having money thieved from them on a near constant basis, but emails like that are shocking. I could never imagine receiving an email like that from the places I usually play at - not that I chargeback of course.
The part that read "our collection agency is quite aggressive in their approach to make thieves or fraudsters pay" actually sent a bit of a shiver down my spine, came across as a threat of violence the way I read it. Completely out of order.
This is the real issue here, they are using a collection agency that appears to operate outside of the law, a bit like ripping off "the mob" and having their "collection agency" come round with a baseball bat to ask you to return the money. The threats were the digital version of the heavies with baseball bats as there was no mention of any legal process, but rather an attempt to blackmail the player into giving the money back through the commission of illegal acts such as publishing their private information on the internet, and telling their friends and family about their gambling and fraud.
Maybe this approach has worked, but it is a dangerous "time bomb" that has finally blown both their feet off after they used it on the wrong person.
They also seemed to contradict themselves, first telling the fraudster that the deposits were illegal, and they knew it, and then asking them to commit the same crime AGAIN in order that the charged back deposits could be honoured.
This could be a BIG problem for US facing casinos as this could be a sign that the fraudsters have decided to change tactic and no longer be intimidated by the threats from the "collection agency". If the bluff has been called, it's possible that other fraudsters who charge back will fight the "collection agency" and the casino rather than be scared that their family, friends, boss, etc WILL find out about their habit, and that their credit rating will be trashed.
The banks too may well be getting wise to a rash of chargebacks for purchases made at offshore "retailers", and thus figure out how to tighten the noose of UIGEA even further.
It's not all good news for the fraudsters though because once they charge back, the bank might discover that they were using them for illegal transactions for gambling, and could freeze their account for investigation, or even kick them out of the bank altogether. This would also be something that WOULD affect their credit rating, because the bank will share the information, not some offshore "collection agency".
The problem for casinos is the ease of charging back under UIGEA, they dare not defend, therefore it is easy for the fraudster to achieve. It will be a problem so long as cards are accepted for deposits, and it may well be a growing problem.
Maybe the casinos should look for a deposit method that cannot be the subject of a chargeback, and then they can disallow the use of cards for new players, allowing them if they become loyal and appear to be genuine, and accepting their losses as well as their wins with good grace.
Simple as that.
But you'd never see a bank or high-street business responding this way and in our industry particularly, trust and security are paramount. As a gambler, you want to know that a) you are in safe hands and b) that if you have to deal with the staff at the casino over any issues, it will be handled professionally.
