Women Scammed by Someone Posing as Steelers Rookie Weeks After Another Swindler Made More Than $1 Million
The unlikelier the scenario, it seems, the more some credulous and desperate people will believe it.
According to a Pennsylvania State Police public information release report, on July 30, an individual posing as Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Eli Heidenreich allegedly scammed two Pennsylvania women out of $1,000.
The incident occurred as two other individuals, 35-year-old Daejon Labrayae Love and 18-year-old Taylor Jamie Chan, put the finishing touches on what the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon characterized as a similar fraudulent crime spree dating back to February 2022.
In the Pennsylvania case, details remain scarce. The police report simply identified the two alleged victims, a 20-year-old female and a 50-year-old male, as residents of Avella, Pennsylvania.
Love and Chan, however, left a much longer trail of their alleged crimes.
For more than four years, Love allegedly used dating apps to ensnare women in phony romantic relationships. He often posed, for instance, as a real estate investor or a player for the San Francisco 49ers.
Meanwhile, Chan allegedly posed as Love’s financial advisor.
According to the FBI’s investigation, the duo falsified electronic communications, touted phony account balances, and even held three-way FaceTime calls to persuade victims of their investments’ legitimacy.
All told, Love and Chan allegedly scammed at least 26 victims out of approximately $1.3 million. Their scheme continued up to their arrest in Idaho on Aug. 24.
Notably, the press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, dated Aug. 25, highlighted the Love-Chan investigation as part of a broader Department of Justice effort supporting President Donald Trump’s “Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.”
That effort, according to the press release, uncovered a sophisticated fraud scheme.
In Pennsylvania, on the other hand, the scheme appears to have been less sophisticated and more ironic.
Heidenreich, a 23-year-old rookie running back selected in the 7th round of the 2026 NFL Draft, attended the U.S. Naval Academy.
Furthermore, according to Steelers Depot, the rookie had already secured a key position on Pittsburgh’s special teams. By making him a personal protector on the punt team, the Steelers showed a good deal more “trust” in Heidenreich than the average rookie generally receives.
In other words, Heidenreich has earned the honor that accompanies a military service member. He has also developed a reputation for doing things the right way as a professional.
Even if the two alleged victims knew none of these things about Heidenreich, however, they might have put two and two together in order to detect a scam. According to the team’s website, on July 30 — the date of the alleged incident — Heidenreich and his teammates were busy practicing at training camp in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, more than 90 minutes away from tiny Avella.
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