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Law enforcement officials announced Feb. 6 that two Glastonbury men defrauded FanDuel and other online gambling platforms of nearly $3 million through a large-scale identity theft scheme.
Amitoj Kapoor, 29, and Siddharth Lillaney, 29, were indicted Tuesday in federal court in New Haven and arrested Thursday, according to David Sullivan, US attorney for the District of Connecticut. Court documents allege the men exploited new-user bonuses from 2021 to 2023 using thousands of stolen identities. Sullivan said the indictment marked “the end of the road” for both men.
Exploiting FanDuel sportsbook new-user bonuses at scale
Authorities said the pair purchased roughly 3,000 stolen identities through the darknet and Telegram. They used the information to open fraudulent gambling accounts, primarily on FanDuel, and took advantage of promotional bonuses and first-bet incentives offered to new users. They then placed bets on sporting events and cashed out the winnings.
Officials said the men subscribed to BeenVerified.com and TruthFinder.com to gather additional details about victims, using the information to answer security verification questions. Through this method, they bypassed identity checks and created thousands of fraudulent accounts over two years.
The men transferred their sportsbook winnings to virtual stored-value cards permitted for deposits and withdrawals, authorities said. The cards are issued by a federally insured financial institution. Kapoor and Lillaney then moved the proceeds into bank and investment accounts they controlled. Officials said the scheme generated about $3 million in illegal proceeds over roughly 2½ years, beginning in April 2021 and continuing through November 2023.
Federal charges and potential prison time
The case was investigated by the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection and IRS Criminal Investigation. A grand jury returned the indictment Tuesday in federal court in New Haven.
Kapoor and Lillaney are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and identity fraud, punishable by up to five years in prison. They also face 23 counts of wire fraud, eight counts of identity fraud and 10 counts of money laundering, each carrying potential sentences of up to 15 or 20 years, depending on the charge. In addition, they are charged with two counts of aggravated identity theft, which carry mandatory consecutive prison terms of up to two years.
If convicted on all counts, the men could face decades in prison. Officials said both were released on $300,000 bond and appeared before a magistrate judge in New Haven.
Thousands of victims identified nationwide
State Department of Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli said investigators have notified more than 1,200 people nationwide whose identities were used to open fraudulent gambling accounts. Authorities have identified thousands of potential victims, and notifications are ongoing.
The case began as a gaming-related inquiry but expanded as the scale of the identity theft became clear.
The investigation highlights broader concerns about fraud and identity theft in the online gambling industry, particularly as Connecticut’s legal online sports betting continues to grow. Regulators said they remain focused on consumer protection and expect operators to maintain strong identity verification and anti-fraud safeguards.
