Every IPL season brings a wave of new betting accounts, and with them a wave of scams. The reasons are simple. Interest in cricket peaks, lots of people are betting for the first time, and matches run every evening for two months, which gives scammers a fresh hook every day. Most of the tricks are old, but they come back each season with new names and new screenshots.
This guide covers the scams we hear about most often during the IPL, how each one works, and a set of questions you can put to any book before you deposit. That means Reddy Anna Book, Reddybook, or a name you have never heard of. The answers tell you far more than the logo does.
One note before we start: Reddy Anna Book is a separate name used by other providers, and we are Reddybook Club. If your worry is someone pretending to be us specifically, our page on verifying our number and website covers that case.
Tipster Groups on Telegram and WhatsApp
These groups usually start free. For a few days they post predictions, and a few of them come good, because if you post enough confident picks some will always win. Then comes the offer: a "VIP" group with "100% sure" picks for a one-time fee, or a monthly subscription.
Watch for the tells:
- Deleted losing picks. Many groups quietly delete the tips that lost, so the history you scroll through looks perfect.
- Several groups run by the same people, each posting the opposite pick. Whichever side wins, one group has a "correct" prediction to advertise.
- Pressure to pay fast: "only 5 VIP seats left before tonight's match."
Nobody selling certainty in sport has it. If they did, they would bet it themselves rather than sell it to strangers for a few hundred rupees.
"Fixed Match" and "Session Leak" Claims
A step up from tipsters is the claim of inside information: a "fixed" match, or a "leak" of the exact runs in the next session. The pitch usually asks for a large payment, or a share of your winnings paid in advance.
Treat these as scams every time. Even setting aside that match-fixing is a crime, the people selling "leaks" have no access to anything. The payment is the whole business. Some versions add a sting at the end: after you pay, they claim the "fix" was cancelled at the last minute and offer a "guaranteed" replacement for a second fee.
Fake Panels and Fake Support Numbers
During the IPL, copies of popular betting panels appear in search ads, social posts and forwarded messages. They look right and let you "deposit", and the balance even shows up on screen. But withdrawals never arrive, because the panel is a mock-up controlled by the scammer.
A related trick is the fake support number. You search for help with a login problem, find a number listed as "customer care" for a betting brand, and the person who answers asks you to share your screen, install a "support app", or read out an OTP "to verify your account". That is how they get into your bank account.
The defence is simple. Only use the login link your own agent sends you, and only contact support through a number you have already verified. A real agent will never need your OTP or remote access to your phone. If you are unsure how a real login should look, our login guide lists the warning signs of a fake page.
Bonus Traps
"500% welcome bonus." "Double your first deposit." Big IPL offers are a classic hook. Some are fake outright. Others are real but come with conditions that make the bonus almost impossible to withdraw. The most common catch is a requirement to bet the bonus many times over before any of it, or sometimes any of your own deposit, can be taken out.
Before accepting any offer, ask for the conditions in writing. How many times must it be wagered? On which markets? By what date? Can you withdraw your own deposit before the condition is met? If the answers are vague, or only come after you have paid, walk away.
Screenshot "Proof" of Winnings
Scam groups love screenshots: a balance of several lakhs, a withdrawal confirmation, a bank alert. All of these are easy to fake with free editing apps, or with a demo panel where the operator can type in any balance they like. A screenshot proves nothing about whether anyone can withdraw. The only proof that counts is money arriving in your own bank account after a small test withdrawal.
Recovery Scams: The Second Hit
This is the cruellest one, because it targets people who have already lost money. After you complain publicly about a scam, someone gets in touch claiming to be a "recovery agent", a lawyer, or even a police officer. They say they can get your money back for an upfront fee, a "tax", or a "release charge".
No legitimate recovery works this way. Police do not charge fees to investigate, and anyone asking you to pay before they recover money is running a second scam on the same victim.
Questions to Ask Any Book Before You Deposit
Put these questions to the agent behind any book before you send money. You are not testing their knowledge so much as their honesty. The way they answer matters as much as what they say.
| Ask | A good answer | A bad answer |
|---|---|---|
| Can I make a small deposit and withdraw it before betting more? | "Yes. Many people test with a small amount first." | A high minimum withdrawal, or "withdrawals only after you play". |
| Who will I message if a withdrawal is late? | A specific number, the same one you are already talking to. | "Contact customer care" with a different number each time. |
| Is there any fee to withdraw? | A clear answer, given before you deposit. | A "tax", "unlock fee" or "verification charge" that appears only when you try to withdraw. |
| Will you need my OTP or UPI PIN? | "Never." | Any reason at all why they would. |
| Where do I see the rules for a market? | They point you to the rules tab on the panel. | "Don't worry about rules, just bet." |
| Can you give me sure-shot tips? | "No one can. We only handle your account." | Any offer of fixed, leaked or guaranteed results. |
| Will payouts go to my own account? | "Only to an account in your name." | Offers to pay a friend, a relative or a third party. |
Two or more bad answers is enough to stop. Also pay attention to the deposit details. If the account name changes every time, or you are asked to pay a personal UPI ID that does not match anything you were told, confirm before you send anything.
For a broader set of things to check before you trust any provider, see the green and red flags on our online cricket ID guide.
If You Have Already Been Scammed
- Stop paying. Do not send any "fee" to release your money, whoever asks.
- Report it straight away. Call the national cybercrime helpline on 1930 and file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. Reporting quickly gives your bank the best chance of holding the money before it moves on.
- Tell your bank and ask them to flag the transaction.
- Keep everything: chat screenshots, UPI reference numbers, the names and numbers you paid, and any website addresses.
- Ignore anyone who contacts you offering to recover the money for a fee.
And then take a break. Losing money to a scam often pushes people to bet more to win it back, which is exactly the wrong move. Our responsible gaming page has practical ways to step back.
By the Reddybook Club support desk · Updated 7 October 2026. Betting is for adults aged 18 and over. The law differs by state, and the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 restricts real-money online games, so check the rules that apply where you live. See our responsible gaming page for help setting limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions Before You Open an ID?
Message the Reddybook Club support desk on WhatsApp. Ask anything you like before you deposit.
📲 Message Us on WhatsApp