Super Falcons defender Ashleigh Plumptre has raised alarms about the growing issue of social media impersonation. Fraudsters used her identity to spread false claims that she was left out of Nigeria’s squad for the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The defender, who plays club football in Saudi Arabia, rejected these reports on Tuesday. She called the accounts spreading these claims fraudulent and warned fans not to engage with them.
“Awful false accounts. I’ve posted on my IG and X for people to report. They are using my identity and scamming people. I’m currently contacting someone in Saudi to help me take these accounts down because this has been happening for well over a year now,” Plumptre said in an official statement on Tuesday.
The false reports, which circulated on Facebook, claimed the Super Falcons star was unhappy after being ‘omitted’ from Nigeria’s squad for the 2026 WAFCON. This tournament is set to take place in Morocco from 25 July to 16 August.
However, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) dismissed these reports as totally false. They pointed out that no official squad list has been submitted by the coaching crew yet.
NFF Director of Competitions, Ruth David, said the defender had warned the public that she does not have a Facebook account. “This is totally false. Last year, Ashleigh Plumptre made a video in which she clearly said that she is NOT on Facebook. Some people are impersonating her, and she has tried several times to take down the page without success. Nothing has changed; the player is not on Facebook and nobody should believe anything from the cloned account,” Ms David said.
She also mentioned that the misinformation goes beyond Plumptre. “The other issue is that the Coach has not submitted any list of players for the Women AFCON. So the scammer got it all wrong. The same scammer was at work a few weeks ago saying that Esther Okoronkwo made the same claims when, in fact, the player was not invited for the Senegal friendly matches because she was nursing an injury.
“We recall that some time ago, there was a report that Asisat Oshoala said she had retired from international football, which was completely false.”
The federation urged journalists, media organizations, and the public to verify information before sharing it. “We urge well-meaning individuals to double-check whatever news item they see anywhere before passing it to others. The issue of fake news has become overwhelming, and media owners and workers must consistently verify what they put out for their own integrity and credibility,” Ms David said.
Impersonation of athletes and celebrities on social media is becoming more common. Fraudsters create fake accounts to ask for money, promote scams, or spread false information.
Many Nigerian footballers, entertainers, and public figures have warned fans about cloned social media accounts used for fraudulent purposes. Plumptre herself stated in 2025 that she does not have a Facebook account. She urged fans to rely only on her verified Instagram and X accounts for real information.
This controversy comes as preparations ramp up for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Nigeria, the most successful team in the history of the competition with 10 titles, aims to keep the continental crown in a few weeks.
Plumptre has become a key player for the Super Falcons since her debut in 2022. She had a significant role at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where Nigeria reached the Round of 16 and received much praise for its performances.
With the WAFCON tournament coming up, the NFF has asked supporters to rely only on official channels for information about player invitations and team activities.
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