A fake 113 address redirects to illegal casinos
A web address that differs by just one digit from that of 113 Zelfmoordpreventie, the Dutch suicide prevention organisation, is being used to promote illegal online casinos.
A difference of just one digit
The official address for 113 Zelfmoordpreventie is 113.nl. However, another address, 1113.nl, directs internet users to a site promoting illegal online casinos.
Only one extra digit distinguishes the two addresses. A simple typing error could therefore lead someone trying to access the suicide prevention website to a platform full of adverts for gambling sites.
The issue was reported this week by the Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates (KVA), a Dutch organisation dedicated to responsible affiliates in the gambling sector.
How was this address discovered?
The KVA identified the domain whilst monitoring results associated with common searches in the gambling sector.
According to information reported by CasinoNieuws.nl, 1113.nl appears when consumers search for information on online casinos available in the Netherlands.
The KVA condemns this practice and believes that using an address so similar to that of 113.nl risks exposing a particularly vulnerable group to offers from illegal casinos.
113 Suicide Prevention is considering its options for action
The KVA’s warning has sparked indignant reactions in the comments section of its post. 113 Zelfmoordpreventie has also taken note of this. The organisation has confirmed that it is now exploring the options available to it to respond to this situation.
The risk of a simple typing error
An internet user wishing to visit 113.nl could accidentally add a digit and end up at 1113.nl. Someone searching for the website of a suicide prevention organisation would instead be confronted with adverts for online casinos considered to be illegal.
It is precisely this association that the KVA is condemning. The organisation believes that illegal gambling sites and their affiliates are using this method to target particularly vulnerable people.

