Overview
- The NFLPA sent certified agents a notice Thursday saying the FBI tied Kwamaine Jerell Ford to a ruse that targeted NFL and NBA players through a fake adult‑film persona.
- Prosecutors say Ford spoofed Apple support to harvest iCloud usernames, passwords, and multi‑factor codes, then used stored card data for thousands of dollars in spending.
- The indictment also alleges he recruited and coerced a woman for paid encounters with athletes and forced secret recordings without the players’ knowledge.
- Ford, previously convicted in 2019 for a similar phishing scheme, pleaded not guilty on March 13 to 22 federal counts that include wire fraud, computer fraud, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, and sex trafficking, and he remains jailed without bail.
- The FBI is working to identify victims, and the NFLPA told players to contact their agent or the union if they suspect targeting because most names have not been made public.