Nick Rainey is a
Thief and Scammer

Meet Nick Rainey.

The Set Up

Nick Rainey solicited investors from an online poker forum, promising them a percentage of his winnings if they would pay for his $10,000 entry fee into the World Series of Poker.

He sold a ton of "shares" and informed his investors when he'd be playing in the poker tournament.

The Scam

Later, during the first day of the World Series of Poker, he wrote his investors (via a now deleted twitter message) that he had busted out of the tournament after a "brutal day".

However, World Series of Poker registration records showed he never entered the tournament.

The Crime

Nick stole all of his investor's money and moved to Canada. When confronted with the theft, Nick lied, saying that the refund checks he sent must have gotten lost in the mail.

He deleted his Facebook, Twitter and blog. Nick ignores all email, text and Skype inquiries about the money he stole.

Nick's Other Scams:

Charity Scam

Nick made a public pledge to donate 100% of his winnings in an upcoming poker tournament to a Children's Hospital and encouraged other players to join him in the cause. Several players sent money to Nick earmarked for the charity. Nick stole the donations.

When questioned, Nick swore he sent the money to the charity. However, hospital staff confirmed that they never received any funds from Nick Rainey. Months later, Nick reluctantly sent a partial donation but kept the rest for himself.

First Investor Scam

Last December, Nick rallied a number of investors behind his poker endeavors, selling them shares and promising dividend payments when he reached certain milestones in a player loyalty program called Pokerstars SuperNova Elite.

Similar to the recent World Series of Poker Main Event scam, he didn't send payments and refused to answer questions, leaving investors holding the bag..

Kneecapping

In the most bizarre scam attempt of all, Nick Rainey claimed to have won a $500,000 wager that never took place.

Additionally, he offered to sell his winnings on the bet for thirty cents on the dollar if someone would go kneecapping and collect for him.

When it was proven that he was lying, Nick claimed that he was just kidding around.