|
 |
 |
| Stars victims of identity theft
|
|
| Andrea Petrie |
|
3/30/2009 - THE AFL and the players' association have teamed up to stop random people posing as footballers on social networking websites in what has been described as identity theft.
Association chief executive officer Brendon Gale revealed yesterday that unbeknown to some players, profiles had been set up in their names on Facebook and MySpace where photos had been downloaded and questions answered on the players' behalf to fans who believed it was their heroes responding.
Some have joined inappropriate groups or forums on the sites and told multiple lies about what the players got up to in their private lives.
Gale said several players had approached the AFL and the players' association and wanted something done about it immediately.
"In some of these forums they're being misrepresented, defamed and are the subject of malicious information and generally having their identities stolen so that's a real concern and something we have a fairly strong interest in," he told Channel Seven's AFL Game Day yesterday. "The organisations that host these sites, that run them, have responsibilities civil and criminal in this country (and) we've taken steps to inform the organisations involved and demanded that (the profiles) cease to exist.
"We've got some lawyers internally but saw fit to go outside and get more informed advice."
Hawthorn premiership captain Sam Mitchell, Geelong forward Cameron Mooney and Jason Akermanis from the Western Bulldogs are among what is believed to be more than 100 players affected.
|
|
|
|
