I’m sure you’ve all seen the ads from handicappers claiming to have inside information on the team and “5 Star Lock of the Year”. You can find multiple advertisements for these services on the sports page of any newspaper, as well as on the Internet.

These services prey on a generally naive audience and the pursuit of easy windfalls. Typically, these “experts” boast an incredible, unbelievable win percentage of something like 80 percent. These unscrupulous comments are the calling card of a scammer.

Scammers are a cancer among the sports betting public. They are not in the business of serving their customers with wallet fattening picks. It’s really a simple scam, and since the customer base is essentially endless, it can fatten their wallets forever.

There will always be hundreds of naive players. Some may have sunk down a big hole, while others have dollar signs in their eyes. Desperate or greedy, punters call one of these professional scammers for a free pick and a big payday. By the time the phone hangs up, the player has sent money for a picks package that is “guaranteed to win.”

These impostors don’t even play their own teams. Like I said it’s all a scam and they make money selling worthless picks as a service.

The scam is simple. All the scammer has to do is instruct each unsuspecting caller to bet on a different team. All of this is done knowing that callers who accidentally win will call back and buy another more expensive package.

Example

Four people call the same “handicapped service” the day the service offers picks at Patriots/Dolphins and 49’ers/Seahawks games. After obtaining all the relevant information from the callers (name, credit card information, phone number, etc.), the service tells caller 1 that today’s picks are the Patriots and the 49’ers. Caller 2 is told that the Dolphins and Seahawks are betting teams. The service instructs caller 3 to bet on the Patriots and Seahawks while telling caller 4 that the Dolphins and 49ers are today’s play.

As you can see, one of the callers will go 2-0. The caller is likely to be involved in an expensive selection package. Two other callers will finish 1-1 and only have to worry about paying for juice. These two callers may be convinced to give the service another try. To sweeten the deal and get them back in the lottery for the lucky pick and a package of subsequent picks, they’re also promised another free pick.

The last caller loses both bets and probably a good amount of money, either to a bookie or to an online sportsbook.

If you multiply these calls by hundreds or more per week, you can understand how profitable this scam is. If you were the caller and received the winning selections, the odds of you continuing to receive the winning selections are definitely not in your favor. Eventually, you lose all the money you could have won from the lucky picks, and usually end up in a bigger hole than before you made that fateful call. Realizing that you were deceived, it becomes an easy decision to stop using this service.

If you’ve had an experience with a scammer, you know that the service calls week after week. These follow-up calls offer a free selection for a second or third chance. If the caller succumbs to the harassing calls and buys a package, she’s back in the batting order for the lottery pick that will actually win. Even if you tell the service that you are no longer interested, or ignore them, they still call you every week or every day offering you a new package.

This is when the bullying continues. Scammers are relentless and won’t take NO for an answer. They will harass you and leave a message offering you the Sun and Moon if you call them back. These calls typically seem to increase in frequency. In about a month, you’ll be getting calls from people you’ve never heard of or never called. Adding insult to injury, the sad truth of the matter is that these professionals often sell their lists to their colleagues. By the next season, three or four of these drifters are calling your name. The only way it seems to silence the phone is by getting a new number.

I have firsthand knowledge of these tactics. Years ago, before learning about sports investing and fresh out of college with a little cash in my pocket, I became a statistic when I bought a couple of picks. Luckily I only bought a one week pack and quickly saw the light. A few months later, I moved and forgot to leave a forwarding phone number. I never called the number of another sports service again.

However, there are legitimate disability services that offer a service to their clients. These services only offer selections that they and their staff have thoroughly researched and are betting on themselves.

If you decide to use a handicapped service, be sure to do your research and research on the handicapped person and/or the service thoroughly. Be sure to ask any questions you want answered. Any quality disability service will have contact information and will answer any questions you have.