A Danish poker player named Peter Jepsen has been found guilty of installing malware on poker players’ computer to read their hands while competing against them online.
High Stakes Poker Player Receives 3.5 Year Sentence for Fraud
Peter Jepsen, a high stakes poker player, was found guilty of computer-based theft last week. His crimes including installing malware on the computers of other players while playing at prestigious events like the European Poker Tour.
A Six-Year Scam
It is suspected that he engaged in this behaviour for about six years. The software that Jepsen and his associates installed provided them with the ability to see their hole cards when playing poker, which would make it impossible for them to win against Jepsen when they encounter him online.
Over the course of his scam, Jepsen was able to steal over $4 million from players. Eventually, his competitors started to notice that something was suspicious and the reported the situation to Danish authorities.
The investigation into Jepsen’s crimes has lasted nearly five years, and a Copenhagen judge has finally ruled that he is guilty of computer-based theft. He has been fined $3.8 million, and what originally started out as a four-year sentence was reduced to three and a half years due to the trial taking so long.
On top of the fine, the Danish government will confiscate an additional $3.9 million from Jepsen. They will then attempt to compensate all of the players who have been scammed by the player.
Jepsen has filed for an appeal, which is likely to complicate things. The appeal process may slow down the process of returning money to his victims. There is also doubt that he even has the money to return to the players.
As a professional poker player, Jepsen started out with quite a successful poker career even without having made every many cashes. His tournament winnings total over $600,000 so, it comes as a surprise that he would resort to crime to make a living.
Be Careful and Avoid Online Poker Scams
When you’re playing poker online, ensure that you exercise caution. You shouldn’t give anyone else access to your computer or leave it unattended in public, as there is always the chance that someone could attempt to install malware on your device. It’s also important to have quality anti-virus software, some types of spyware and malware can make its way onto your computer when you’re downloading apps and software.
However, that shouldn’t scare you off from playing poker online. Today’s top brands work very hard to ensure that player’s remain safe and secure online.