Super Falcons defender Ashleigh Plumptre has raised fresh concerns over the growing problem of social media impersonation after fraudsters used her identity to spread false claims about her alleged exclusion from Nigeria’s squad for the upcoming Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).
The defender, who plays club football in Saudi Arabia, dismissed the reports on Tuesday, describing the accounts behind the claims as fraudulent and warning supporters against engaging with them.
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“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 (Arabia) 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, circulated on Facebook, claimed that the Super Falcons star was unhappy after being ‘omitted’ from Nigeria’s squad for the 2026 WAFCON scheduled to hold in Morocco from 25 July to 16 August.
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However, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) described the reports as entirely false, noting that no official squad list has yet been submitted by the coaching crew.
NFF Director of Competitions, Ruth David, said the defender had repeatedly warned the public that she does not operate a Facebook account.
“This is totally false. Last year, Ashleigh Plumptre made a video in which she categorically said that she is NOT on Facebook; that some fellows are impersonating her and that she has tried several times to bring down the page without success. Nothing has changed about her absence from Facebook; the player is not on Facebook and nobody should believe anything that emanates from the cloned account,” Ms David said.
She added that the misinformation extended beyond Plumptre.
“The other issue is that the Coach has not submitted any list of players for the Women AFCON, so the scamster got it all wrong. The same scamster was at work some weeks ago stating that Esther Okoronkwo made the same claims, when in fact the player was not invited for the Senegal friendly matches simply 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 patently false.”
The federation appealed to journalists, media organisations and members of the public to verify information before sharing it.
“We appeal to well-meaning individuals to double-check whatever news item they see anywhere before escalating the same to other spaces. The incidence of fake news has become overwhelming and it is important that media owners and media workers consistently verify what they push out there for the sake of their own integrity and credibility,” Ms David said.
Growing problem
The impersonation of athletes and celebrities on social media has become increasingly common, with fraudsters creating fake accounts to solicit money, promote scams or spread false information.
Several Nigerian footballers, entertainers and public figures have repeatedly warned supporters about cloned social media accounts used for fraudulent purposes.
Plumptre herself publicly stated in 2025 that she does not maintain a Facebook account, urging fans to rely only on her verified Instagram and X accounts for authentic information.
WAFCON preparations
The controversy comes as preparations intensify for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
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Nigeria, the most successful team in the history of the competition with 10 titles, will be aiming to retain the continental crown in Morocco in a few weeks’ time.
Plumptre has become one of the key figures in the Super Falcons squad since making her debut in 2022.
She played an important role at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where Nigeria reached the Round of 16 and earned widespread praise for its performances.
With the WAFCON tournament approaching, the NFF has urged supporters to rely only on official channels for information regarding player invitations and team activities.
