NFL romance scammers strike again – Pittsburgh Steeler impersonator dupes more women out of cash

Heartless fraudsters have scammed a mother and daughter out of thousands after posing as the well-known US Naval Academy grad turned Pittsburgh Steeler, Eli Heidenreich, in the latest pig butchering scam to rock the NFL.

The daughter – a 20-year-old with both physical and nonverbal learning disabilities – is described as a “devoted” Pittsburgh Steelers fan, with her favorite player being first-year NFL rookie Eli Heidenreich.

The family, living in the Steelers’ hometown, said they’re still processing the betrayal and financial hardship, according to local news outlet WPXI Now in Pittsburgh.

She thought he was her friend. Even after the policemen were here, she still was not sure it was fake,

the victim's mother told WPXI Now.

From Steelers superfan to scam victim

Apparently, it all started in July after the young fan sent an innocent message to a TikTok account she believed was Heidenreich, commenting on the team’s upcoming season.

Someone wrote back, thanking the daughter for being a Steelers fan. The responses were "formal" at first, the mother told the news outlet.

But eventually the exchanges became more frequent and a “friendship” developed, with the scammers gaining the daughter’s trust by expressing sympathy for her medical condition.

They would talk about really just random things, and she would say how grateful she was for the friendship, that she doesn’t really have any friends,

the mother said.

As with all pig butchering scams – a type of romance scam – once an emotional relationship is established with the victim, the perpetrators will manipulate them into sending money.

At some point, the fake Heidenreich offered to set the daughter up with an “all-access pass” to a game, instructing her to email another account pretending to be the Pittsburgh Steelers' General Manager, Omar Khan.

The legitimate-looking emails – branded with an official signature that included the GM’s headshot – convinced them to fork over a total of $2,000 over several transactions to obtain a “Pittsburgh Steelers BRR Meetup Access Card.”

Notably, that card doesn't even exist.

After learning she was duped, the mom says the daughter was completely devastated, having used her own money she had saved to buy the pass.

“She thought he was her friend. Even after the policemen were here, she still was not sure it was fake,” the mother told the news outlet.

Pennsylvania State Police are said to be investigating.

NFL romance scams front and center

It's also not the first romance scam using popular NFL players to drain the bank accounts of unsuspecting women.

Another NFL romance scam has been making headlines after 35 more women came forward to claim they had been potentially victimized by two cybercriminals – one posing as a player on the San Francisco 49ers for years, and the other in a supporting role.

The impersonator – 36-year-old Daejon Labrayae Love – amassed a following of over 6,000 people on Instagram, where he showed off a lavish lifestyle “featuring jewelry, cars, and the occasional inspirational speech,” Men’s Journal reported.

The scammers – arrested in August and now facing wire fraud charges – are accused of bilking multiple women out of $1.3 million as part of an online investment scam, with the partner posing as Love’s financial advisor.

The FBI, which is handling the case, said the scheme was so elaborate that even Google AI was convinced the completely fake 49er team member was real.