You Protect Their Contracts. Who’s Protecting Their Reputation?
You’ve fought for fair compensation. For safety protocols. For healthcare, education, and post-career support.
But there’s a new threat emerging - one that can’t be negotiated in a collective agreement or fixed with a policy change.
Digital impersonation. Spoofed identities. Deepfake content.
And when it happens, it doesn’t just cost the player. It damages trust - with fans, brands, and the public.
When the Attack Feels Personal - Because It Is
A contract dispute won’t end a career. But a fake FaceTime video might.
We’ve seen:
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AI-generated voicemails sent to teammates or staff, sounding like the player
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Deepfake videos “leaked” to damage endorsement deals
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Urgent messages to family members that seem real - until it’s too late
The tech is evolving. Fast. But what hasn’t changed is the real target: the athlete’s reputation.
Because attackers don’t just want money. They want access. Leverage. Public chaos.
And the fastest way to get that is to control the one thing the player can’t afford to lose: how the world sees them.
Reputation Can’t Be Rebuilt Mid-Season
Players are trained to deal with pressure.
What they’re not trained to deal with is:
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Their voice being used in a scam
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A fake video being sent to a brand partner
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Family members being targeted for clickbait or wire fraud
By the time crisis comms gets involved, the damage is already done. Which is why the next phase of player protection must be proactive.
How Players Associations Can Lead the Shift
You already protect what’s contractual. We help protect what’s cultural.
At HardTarget, we partner with Players Associations to:
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Run reputation-risk scenarios using real-world tools
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Train players on what social engineering looks like in today’s threat landscape
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Help families, reps, and inner circles recognize and respond before it spreads
This isn’t about fear. It’s about recognizing the value of a name - and guarding it accordingly.
📲 You’ve Protected the Paper. Let’s Protect the Player.
Digital identity is now part of the athlete’s brand. And in an era of AI and deepfakes, brand is attack surface.
We help associations bring proactive reputation protection into the player benefit stack - before someone else decides how the story gets told.