Eddy Curry Reveals NBA Players Targeted by Fake Instagram Groupies
Former NBA center Eddy Curry highlights how scammers exploit athletes' social media habits using fake accounts, deep fakes, and doctored screenshots for extortion.
Insight from the National Basketball Players Association
Curry, who works in Player Operations for the NBPA, shared details from an educational session called “Trust Issues” aimed at this year’s NBA rookie class. The session involved analyzing Instagram accounts to identify which were fraudulent.
- Rookies were shown various Instagram profiles and had to determine if they were fake.
- They explained the clues that convinced them an account was real or fake.
- All accounts discussed were confirmed fake and had successfully scammed money from NBA players.
How the Scammers Operate
Curry explained that scammers study players’ Instagram behavior—tracking who they follow and which posts they like to craft convincing fake profiles tailored to the players’ interests.
“They doing sh-t so cold now, bro, where they’ll send you a message,” Curry said.
This strategy allows scammers to befriend players and manipulate them into sending money, running a deceptive and well-planned scheme.
Summary
Online scammers use sophisticated methods to exploit NBA players’ social media habits, prompting educational efforts to raise awareness and protect athletes.
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