Buccaneers Duped by Fake Emeka Egbuka Social Media Account

The NFL team tagged the fraudulent account 60 times before realizing it was not the real player.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 5:12pm

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' social media team was 'duped' by a fake social media account claiming to belong to wide receiver Emeka Egbuka. The team tagged the @EgbukaEmeka account 60 times in posts before realizing it was not the real player, who does not appear to have an active Twitter account. The fake account posted a controversial tweet about CTE, leading the Buccaneers to quickly disavow any connection to it.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the challenges teams face in verifying social media accounts, especially for young players who may not be active on certain platforms. It also raises questions about how teams manage their social media presence and the potential risks of over-tagging unverified accounts.

The details

The fake Emeka Egbuka account, @EgbukaEmeka, posted a tweet on Wednesday questioning whether CTE is 'even real.' Shortly after, the Buccaneers' communications account clarified that the account was not affiliated with the player or the team. Longtime Buccaneers beat reporter Greg Auman noted the account had only 33 benign retweets prior to the controversial post, suggesting it may have been dormant before being used to dupe the team.

  • The fake Egbuka account posted the controversial tweet on Wednesday, March 12, 2026.
  • The Buccaneers' communications account responded shortly after the tweet was posted.

The players

Emeka Egbuka

A wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who had an impactful rookie season in 2025, catching 63 passes for 938 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The NFL team that was 'duped' by the fake Emeka Egbuka social media account, tagging it 60 times in posts before realizing it was not the real player.

Greg Auman

A longtime beat reporter covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who speculated that the fake Egbuka account may have been dormant before being used to dupe the team.

Mike Evans

A former Buccaneers wide receiver who praised Egbuka's potential, calling him 'one of the best young players I have ever been around.'

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What they’re saying

“The below account is neither owned nor operated by Emeka Egbuka. It is in no way affiliated with Emeka or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Communications Account

“If you look at the account, it's just 33 benign retweets over a few years, mostly of team accounts, before yesterday. If he's not on the app, he doesn't know to tell even his own team that they're tagging an account that's not his. Odd, but harmless.”

— Greg Auman, Buccaneers Beat Reporter

“Mek's ceiling is the highest that it can go. He is that great of a player and person, and it is not an accident that he started how he did because he was such a professional already.”

— Mike Evans, Former Buccaneers Wide Receiver

What’s next

The Buccaneers will likely work to verify the authenticity of player social media accounts moving forward to avoid similar incidents.

The takeaway

This case highlights the need for professional sports teams to carefully vet and authenticate social media accounts, especially for young players, to avoid being 'duped' by fake accounts that could potentially cause reputational damage or other issues.