**"I Didn’t Know Any Better": The Harrowing Reality for Victims of Football Fraud** Young athletes with dreams of stardom are falling prey to fraudulent agents who promise trials but vanish with their money. Daniel Aldana, like countless others around the globe, harbored a dream of becoming a professional footballer. He believed that all he needed was a chance to prove himself. While training with a National League team, Aldana received a message on LinkedIn from someone claiming to be a football agent, offering him a trial with a third-tier club in Sweden. The catch? Aldana was asked to pay a small fee for medical insurance. Shortly after, the agent requested an additional €350, claiming that Aldana needed to be pushed harder to fit the club's requirements. “I thought, ‘That’s just how football works. I have to take risks,’” Aldana recounted. Unfortunately, Aldana's story is not unique. Many young players, driven by their aspirations, find themselves ensnared in a web of deceit spun by unscrupulous individuals posing as agents.