Stake.us has warned users on social media about a fraudulent Telegram account, “StakeBot,” which falsely promises a 1,000% deposit match bonus with no playthrough requirements. The scam account instructs victims to deposit cryptocurrency into a crypto wallet, claiming the bonus will automatically appear in their Stake.us account, but it never does.
The StakeBot Telegram account is not legit: it belongs to a scammer who will abscond with any currency sent to the wallet associated with the account.
Stake.us is a US-facing sweepstakes casino connected with Stake, an international cryptocasino not available in the US. It’s important to note that neither site promotes promos or bonuses through any unofficial channel. The operator issued its warning about StakeBot via X on February 10.
Please note that the Telegram channel ‘Stake Bot’ has NO association with Stake US. DO NOT send your crypto wallet addresses or accept any offers from this account as it will result in the loss of your coins. We kindly ask you to refrain from interacting with the account and report it immediately. All communication will only come from our official channels.
In response, several users confirmed having lost money to the scam. One claimed that the scheme has been going on for over a year.
Stake.us is one of only a few sweeps casinos accepting cryptocurrency, meaning users can buy Gold Coin packages with currencies like Bitcoin. Cryptocurrency is unregulated, accounts can be anonymous, and transactions are irreversible. Those factors make businesses using cryptocurrency a popular target for scammers. Unlike regulated banking transactions, there’s no recourse once a victim sends funds to a scammer’s wallet.
Cryptocurrency also offers benefits to the user in terms of privacy and convenience. However, it’s very much “buyer beware.” Never send cryptocurrency to any wallet claiming to be affiliated with a casino, unless you’re sure of the company’s legitimacy and obtained the wallet address directly from the site or app.
How does the StakeBot scam work?
StakeBot is a scam, targeting users with an enticing 1,000% deposit match bonus without any playthrough requirements. That kind of offer is too good to be true, but many casino players can’t resist the promise of getting something for free.
The bot often advertises itself on Telegram in legitimate Stake or Stake.us channels, leading some users to believe it is affiliated with the platform. There are also instances of the fraudulent account promoting itself on other social media sites, such as Reddit and X.
Once the user clicks on the channel, they’re asked to provide their Stake.com user name (while it targets Stake.com users, many Stake.us users have also fallen victim, mistakenly assuming the promotion applies to the sweeps casino.) Once the bot “connects” to the account, the victim must type how much they want to deposit and select a cryptocurrency.
The bot then generates a single-use crypto address that is allegedly connected to the victim’s account. The user is instructed to copy the address and transfer the funds. Once they complete that, the bot claims the bonus will appear in the victim’s account as soon as Stake confirms it. However, as there’s no association between the fraudulent account and the site, the crypto disappears, never reaching the user’s account.
Only trust bonuses listed on an operator’s site
Stake.us’ warning is an important reminder that users must claim bonuses on the operator’s site, not a third-party site or channel like “StakeBot.” Also, a major red flag for scams is the absence of wagering requirements. Legitimate sweeps and real-money casino promotions almost always have wagering requirements. Some are as low as 1x, meaning you must play the bonus funds at least once before withdrawing. In the case of Stake.us, all social media bonus drops clearly state the requirements for eligibility.
How to claim a Stake.us bonus drop
If you’re unsure how to claim a Stake.us bonus drop from social media, follow these steps:
- Watch out for the bonus drop on social media (usually X or Telegram.)
- Once Stake.us posts the code, copy it and log on to the site
- Click on your profile and “Settings.”
- Go to “Offers” at the bottom and paste the code into the required field.
- Submit your code, and you’ll be all set.
Before claiming the bonus code, ensure you meet the requirements. They are typically based on how much you played in the past seven days.
Other similar scams are circulating
Some users responded to Stake.us’ warning by admitting they had fallen for the scam. Meanwhile, others questioned why the operator had not issued a public alert sooner. Some claimed they had reported the issue to customer service over a year ago.
A look at social media forums like Reddit suggests the scam is ongoing. However, it appears under different accounts and with different terms. Examples include a 350% or 500% deposit match bonus, but they always have no playthrough requirements.
While there hasn’t been a dedicated post about these scams until now, Stake.us has warned against potential scams since July 2024. Each bonus drop post includes a disclaimer cautioning players that ads on the channel are unaffiliated and are possible scams. However, many users ignore these warnings or see the fraudulent promotions elsewhere.
