Watch out for WSOP scams

Enterprising crooks have apparently been trying to scam poker players with offers of heavily discounted seats for the main event of the 2007 World Series of Poker epic scheduled for July in Las Vegas.

WSOP officials have issued a warning after receiving reports about "sensational" offers currently circulating on email and instant messenging channels, cautioning the public about the scam and urging players to ignore the fraudsters' attempts.

The offers apparently involve up to 40 percent discounts on main event seats, the buy-in for which is $10 000. The offerers claim to be either winners of satellite events trying to cash in their seat, or seat holders who have since discovered they cannot make the tournament.

Spokesmen for WSOP organisers Harrah's,say that pre-registered seats, however, can't be sold or traded and Harrah's will not honour transferred registrations. In any event, anyone who pre-registered for events this year can receive a full refund of their payment if they can't participate.

"Ask yourself this," the Harrah's cautionary suggests: "Why would an individual accept $6 000 for a seat he allegedly won when he or she knows they can get the full $10 000 refunded?"