Two bitter poker rivals have united to show a social engineering rip-off that exploited their mutual animosity. Benjamin “Clean Examine Ben” Lee and “Wes Facet” Wesley Fei, each regulars on the Hustler On line casino Dwell livestream, have been additionally each victimized by a fraudster, in accordance with PokerNews, although solely Lee misplaced cash.
Benjamin “Clean Examine Ben” Lee and “Wes Facet” Wesley Fei face one another in October 2022. Lee’s hand gesture epitomizes the pair’s relationship on the time. (Picture: WPT International)
On September 4, a WordPress web site titled “Uncovering Wesley” claimed to be revealed by somebody Wesley cheated out of $250K in a 2022 cryptocurrency rip-off. The weblog additionally accused Wesley of sending “thugs” to burglarize his home.
The accuser then messaged Lee, Wesley’s well-known enemy, through Instagram. He mentioned he deliberate to go public with Wesley’s misdeeds however wanted monetary assist to take action. Initially, Lee trusted his intestine and refused the invitation.
All the time Stick With Your Intestine
A couple of months later, nonetheless, Lee modified his thoughts when the accuser instructed him that Wesley had supplied him $35K to show Lee because the “originator of this marketing campaign of character assassination.”
Fearing for his repute, Lee wired the accuser $1,000. It was at this level that he discovered that the payee recognized himself as a London-based monetary recruiter named Russell Thamer. He additionally wired Thamer, if that was his actual identify, one other $1,500 earlier than Thamer supplied to promote Lee proof that Wesley had dedicated immigration fraud. All it will price was $100K.
As soon as once more, Lee turned him down after which modified his thoughts.
He reconsidered this time as a result of Thamer instructed Lee he now confronted threats, probably from Wesley’s associates. Fearing for his security, Lee employed safety for his LA residence and despatched Thamer $28K in crypto to see the alleged immigration fraud proof.
The proof, after all, was phony.
Lee and Wesley each mentioned the issue with Hustler On line casino Dwell co-owner Ryan Feldman, who organized a powwow. Evaluating notes, the 2 gamers realized they’d been performed in opposition to one another.
Thamer had concurrently tried comparable thoughts video games on Wesley, nonetheless, he didn’t fall for any.
I supplied funding and help to the creator as a result of I sincerely believed he was an harmless sufferer who had been defrauded of his life financial savings,” Lee mentioned in a press release. “Nonetheless, I’ve since found that the creator is knowledgeable fraudster who has tried to rip-off, defraud, and extort each Wesley and myself.”
Lee mentioned he apologized twice to Wesley for his half within the rip-off.
“His repute has suffered for no motive apart from that I used to be gullible sufficient to be manipulated by a fraudster,” he mentioned. “I’m now repeating my apology to him in public. I settle for full accountability for my errors, and I ought to have finished higher.”
Due to their shared ordeal, in accordance with PokerNews, Lee and Wesley have since buried the hatchet and turn into associates.
