For the second time this year, a group of women has fallen victim to a phony athlete posing as an NFL talent.
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Daejon Love, who impersonated a San Francisco 49ers player, infamously defrauded more than 60 women in romance scams.
Love allegedly pretended to be an NFL star while coercing women into relationships online. Love would show off a lavish lifestyle before convincing the women to invest in faulty accounts. He would then block the victims and not return the money.
Dating back to February 2022, Love, 35, created fictitious investments to defraud numerous women in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Oregon.
"Victims in this case were targeted precisely because they were trusting, responsible people who believed they were building legitimate relationships and financial futures," Douglas Olsen, FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge, said.
The victims have been teased online for falling for something so easy to disprove. However, Olsen believes that victim blaming is harmful.
"Victim blaming is unjust. It's harmful. And it overlooks the calculated, highly manipulated lengths these individuals went to in order to deceive and exploit others," Olsen said.
Prosecutors charged him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. He faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted of all charges.
Scammer Impersonates NFL Rookie Running Back
Even after his story made national news, a group of women has allegedly fallen for another scammer posing as an NFL player.
PEOPLE reported that two women have been scammed by someone impersonating Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Eli Heidenreich.
The women, ages 20 and 50, from Avella, Penn., were scammed out of $1,000 in July by a person claiming to be the Steelers running back, according to a Pennsylvania State Police public information report viewed by PEOPLE.
The report indicates that the women were conned over the course of several financial transactions. Police said no suspects have been identified. They advised the public to contact them with relevant information.
Heidenreich, a Pittsburgh native, was the 230th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. The rookie running back has not yet play a snap for his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers, per the team's website.
