Id thieves have in recent times narrowed in on a very profitable goal: athletes on the verge of going professional.
A report from the fraud detection firm SentiLink discovered that NBA and NFL draft picks from a latest five-year interval had been far likelier than the typical American to be victims of tried monetary fraud resembling faux loans and bank cards taken out of their names.
The figures have risen dramatically from 2020 by 2025. Of the NBA draft picks from that interval, 20% noticed suspicious credit score exercise resembling bank card functions, and tried auto and client lending mortgage functions. For NFL picks within the interval, the determine was 15.2%. The nationwide common is normally between 2-3%, the report discovered.
The info solely flags suspicious makes an attempt to take out loans and doesn’t observe confirmed cases of id theft.
“Most draft prospects are younger adults, usually 18–23 years outdated. This demographic typically has restricted credit score histories, fewer lively monetary accounts, and inconsistent digital footprints,” the report discovered.
“These traits make them superb targets as a result of fraudulent functions are much less more likely to set off alerts related to established credit score habits, and there’s typically much less public info obtainable to contradict a fraudulent utility,” it stated.
The rise in id fraud efforts round younger athletes coincides with a nationwide development. Whereas there aren’t any complete figures on what number of Individuals turn out to be victims every year, complaints to the Federal Commerce Fee have risen practically yearly because it began monitoring them in 2001, culminating in a report 6.5 million final 12 months..
James Lee, the president of the Id Theft Useful resource Heart, a nonprofit that helps Individuals cope with id theft, stated younger athletes make sense as targets.
“Skilled athletes who’re early of their careers make for simple targets as a result of they’re extremely seen, are immediately rich, however could not have the identical stage of non-public safety and life expertise to keep away from being taken benefit of by skilled criminals,” stated Lee, who was not concerned within the examine.
Attempting to open a bank card or take out a financial institution mortgage in one other individual’s title typically require little greater than some fundamental details about that individual, resembling their title, present deal with, birthday and household. It normally additionally requires a Social Safety Quantity, however these are hacked and traded by cybercriminals so regularly that they’re comparatively simple to accumulate.
Athletes competing to go professional are closely scrutinized and usually see little expectation of privateness. Their names, ages and fundamental biographical and household info are broadly plastered throughout sports activities web sites, and so they typically publicly promote on social media. And the truth that they’re more likely to regularly transfer amongst their residence, school, coaching camps and the town the place they’re drafted means they might be much less more likely to see mailed credit score alerts.
The makes an attempt additionally echo a spate of residence burglaries which have plagued each leagues in recent times, notably concentrating on them whereas they’re taking part in in high-profile away video games. Victims embrace NFL stars resembling Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Shedeur Sanders and NBA stars resembling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic. The FBI helps examine the break-ins for potential ties to worldwide crime rings, NBC Information reported final week. The company didn’t reply when requested if it was additionally monitoring id thieves who goal athletes.
SentiLink works with banks and different monetary providers to flag suspicious transactions and has an enormous database of credit score exercise. Researchers on the firm appeared on the 1,292 NFL gamers drafted from 2020 to 2024, in addition to the 288 NBA gamers drafted in that very same interval, and in contrast them to nationwide averages.
David Maimon, SentiLink’s head of fraud perception and the lead researcher on the examine informed NBC Information that the information doesn’t point out a widespread organized legal conspiracy and appears extra like a phenomenon of extra newbie criminals attempting to make the most of newly well-known younger males. He declined to share the names of which gamers have been notably focused, citing confidentiality agreements.
Most id theft makes an attempt aren’t made public. However they are often newbie and brazen, whereas others can use fashionable know-how and manipulation strategies.
Some mortgage functions ask for an individual to report a dwell video and transfer their head to show their id. However that may be simply fooled, Maimon stated. Athletes’ footage are simple to seek out on-line and there are many AI instruments that may convincingly deepfake their heads turning, he famous.
Jason Rivarde, the commander of public affairs on the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Workplace in Louisiana, stated his workplace had arrested two folks earlier this 12 months for allegedly trying to take out loans by posing as Cam Ward, Tennessee Titans quarterback and 2025 first total draft decide, in addition to his father.
The pair had been caught when an worker at a Jefferson County monetary establishment who had served them earlier than acknowledged them attempting to take out a mortgage in a 3rd title, Rivarde stated.
The Wards and the Titans didn’t reply to requests for remark.
The NBA and the NFL gamers unions each present rookies with fundamental monetary literacy coaching and advocate vetted monetary advisers, spokespeople for the unions informed NBC Information.
But it surely’s notably arduous for newly well-known folks to totally defend themselves from dogged id thieves, particularly in the event that they haven’t but employed advisers to deal with their funds and carefully watch their credit score studies. Consultants like Maimon say probably the greatest defenses is for everybody to maintain their credit score frozen, however that’s a tall order for an athlete who indicators a serious contract and is inclined to purchase objects that require a credit score examine, resembling autos and property.
