Hamilton police say they are searching for suspects in a bizarre poker-themed grift that conned at least one person out of nearly $10,000.
Police say they are investigating a fraud scam in which local business owners are targeted and lured into a game of poker before ultimately ending up losing big.
"They target one business person at a time. They will invite them to a business meeting and lure them into a game," Hamilton Police Det. Jack Connolly told ctvtoronto.ca. "It is an old ruse but it comes back to life every once in a while."
The alleged grift begins when a local business owner is invited to a meeting at a location rented by the suspect.
After a brief business conversation, the victim is invited to sit in on an ongoing poker game while one of the players is out of the room.
Police say the victim is allowed to win a significant amount of money during the game and is then invited to continue playing.
"The game is rigged," Connolly said. "He is enticed by the fact that he wins, but by the end he has lost quite a bit of money."
Police say they have been contacted by one victim who lost nearly $10,000. Connolly said they are aware of several other victims and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
Anyone believing they may be a victim or anyone with information is asked to contact Hamilton police at 905- 546-4639 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
