Two Glastonbury men have been charged in an alleged scheme to defraud FanDuel and other online gambling sites of millions of dollars using thousands of stolen identities.
A federal grand jury in New Haven returned a 45-count indictment Tuesday charging Amitoj Kapoor, 29, and Siddharth Lillaney, 29, both of Glastonbury, with 23 counts of wire fraud, 10 counts of money laundering, eight counts of identity fraud, two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and identity fraud and money laundering conspiracy, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Kapoor and Lillaney were arrested Thursday and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven. Both were released on $300,000 bonds and could face between two and 20 years in prison on each count.
Court records show that, since 2021, Kapoor and Lillaney allegedly “conspired to defraud online gambling companies, primarily FanDuel, by signing up for accounts using the personal identifying information (PII) of identity theft victims in Connecticut and elsewhere in order to take advantage of promotional ‘bonuses,’ ‘credits,’ or ‘bonus bets’ that were offered when a user opened an account or made an initial bet.”
To open the gambling accounts, Kapoor and Lillaney allegedly purchased the PII of approximately 3,000 victims on the darknet and through Telegram. They also maintained accounts at websites such as BeenVerified.com and TruthFinder.com to obtain additional background information on identity theft victims, and used the information to answer verification questions when signing up for the gambling accounts.
“If Kapoor and Lillaney won a bet using a bonus bet, the winnings were transferred to virtual stored value card, backed by an FDIC-insured financial institution, which FanDuel allowed account holders to use to make deposits to and withdrawals from their FanDuel account,” the indictment alleged. “They then transferred the proceeds from their scheme from the stored value cards to bank accounts and investments accounts they controlled.”
Investigators allege that Kapoor and Lillaney generated a approximate total of $3 million in profits during the scheme, according to the indictment.
“As alleged, these two men used thousands of stolen identities to open online gambling accounts and exploit new user incentives, which for several years allowed them to gamble with stolen money,” said U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan said in the release. “Their winning streak is now over. I thank our partners with IRS-Criminal Investigation and Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection for their extraordinary investigative efforts, and for continuing to work diligently to identify all who have been victimized by this criminal conduct.”
The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection.
“Individuals who commit identity theft of this magnitude deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said Thomas Demeo, special agent in charge of Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “It’s alleged those charged caused immeasurable hardship to the victims of their identity theft scheme. IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to unraveling complex financial transactions and money laundering schemes where criminals attempt to conceal the true source of their money.”
“Although this started as a gaming-related investigation, the scope of the alleged identity theft and fraud, with thousands of potential victims across the country, quickly became the primary focus of this investigation,” said Department of Consumer Protection commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli. “First and foremost, we are a consumer protection agency, and protecting the public by preventing and rooting out fraud is our top priority. If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, visit IdentityTheft.Gov to report the fraud and take steps to recover your identity. Thank you to our skilled team of DCP Gaming investigators as well as the IRS Criminal Investigation Division for their diligent work on this case. We look forward to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to see this case through to its conclusion.”
According to DCP gaming director Kris Gilman, the department’s top priority is protecting consumers and “ensuring a fair and safe gaming marketplace for everyone, whether they choose to participate or not.”
“Identity theft is a serious crime that can have lasting consequences for victims,” Gilman said. “We are proud of the work our team has done to result in these arrests, and grateful to the IRS Investigators and U.S. Attorney’s Office for assisting in our investigation and pursuing this case.”
The DCP noted that FanDuel is the online gaming operator for Mohegan Sun Casino.
“Fraud, identity theft, and the misuse of personal information have no place in a regulated marketplace. We commend the federal and state authorities for their work and decisive action in this case,” said James Gessner Jr., Mohegan Tribal chairman.
“We continue to invest in advanced systems, responsible gaming tools, and fraud‑prevention measures to ensure a safe and secure experience for every player online and in all other areas of our business. Cases like this highlight the critical advantages of regulated iGaming, where strict oversight and close coordination with law enforcement protect consumers far more than unregulated alternatives. Mohegan remains committed to strong consumer protection regulations, preventing underage and problem gaming, and stopping fraud.”