Unique approach

Two men conned a casino in France out of €200,000 ($218,205) by using tiny cameras to see what cards the dealer was pulling out of the shoe. Police arrested the men in the northern suburbs of Paris after they allegedly amassed significant sums of money by pulling the trick at casinos all across Europe.

The suspects, a 63-year-old man from Ukraine and a 37-year-old man from Latvia, used a camera lens on the body of their phones so when the devices were flat on the table, they could see the value of the cards. Another camera was taped under their shirts for the same reason.

photos were transmitted immediately to one of their accomplices who sat in a car outside

The photos were transmitted immediately to one of their accomplices who sat in a car outside and provided them with instructions on how to play their hands through invisible earpieces that were removable only with a magnet.

Capturing the culprits

Enghien-les-Bains was the casino that fell victim to the scheme right before law enforcement finally caught up with them. The pair were staying in the resort that includes the casino when they were apprehended. Their accomplice who was feeding them instructions is still at large.

The authorities learned about their scheme in June after receiving a tip and proceeded to covertly surveil the men as they carried out their scheme at blackjack and poker tables.

A sophisticated operation

Talking about the uniqueness of their tactics, France’s head of Central Service of Racing and Gaming Stéphane Piallat explained that he had never seen such an approach before and that it was “barely documented in Europe.”

these people were experts at gambling-related crimes

Piallat said that these people were experts at gambling-related crimes and not “hoodlums mixed up in drugs or pimping.” Neither of the suspects had a previous criminal record, although police discovered various fake IDs and cards from casinos when searching their rooms.

They will remain in custody for the moment and will be subject to organized gang fraud charges. As the authorities are now aware of this technique, they will warn casinos in the region and educate them on precautionary measures they can take to prevent similar frauds from happening again.