Muscle-bound footy star, 21, is caught up in catfishing scam after his picture is used by a fake account
An up-and-coming Brisbane Broncos NRL player has been embroiled in a catfishing scandal after his pictures were used for a fake account.
Kotoni Staggs’ name and picture was used on a fake Facebook account to reach out to fellow players and industry professionals this week.
The 21-year-old had no idea the account was using his identity.
The owner of the account, claiming to be Staggs, was messaging random people in the NRL asking if they’d be interested in ‘catching up after the game tonight’.
Another read: ‘Hey buddy, I’m free to chat now.’
The messages were reportedly flagged with Broncos headquarters, who then approached Staggs, the Courier Mail reported.
Staggs was said to be shocked by the messages and the profile, and confirmed he was not associated with the account.
It is not clear who the person who made the account is, but they used a picture of Staggs in action during an NRL game.
The centre debuted for Brisbane Broncos in 2018 and had a stellar year. He was later selected for the Tongan international team.
Staggs recently opened up about meeting his father for the first time after he helped secure a win for Tonga in an international match against Australia.
He was honoured to be chosen to represent his country, and following the historic win, Tonga arranged to fly the team back to the island for a one week vacation.
The 21-year-old, who was raised with his mother in New South Wales extended the offer to his estranged father.
Staggs’ father, who lives in the United States, flew to meet him in Tonga.
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