Two Pennsylvania women were scammed out of $1,000 over the summer by someone posing as a Pittsburgh Steelers player, according to state police.
The incident happened in July, when two Washington County women gave money to someone they thought was Eli Heidenreich, the Steelers’ running back who was drafted by the team in Round 7 of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
Here’s what police say happened.
How the Fake-Player Scam Happened
The alleged scam was reported in July 2026, when Pennsylvania State Police spoke with two women from Avella in Washington County.
According to a report released on Sept. 21 from Pennsylvania State Police, police responded to the incident on July 30 after an unknown individual posing as Heidenreich scammed a 20-year-old and a 50-year-old woman through various financial transactions. The total value of those transactions was about $1,000.
The police had no suspects and encouraged the public to contact them if they had any information related to the case.
What Readers Should Watch For
Heidenreich was the 230th overall pick during the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s originally from the Pittsburgh area and played football at Mt. Lebanon High School before playing for the Naval Academy in college, according to the Steelers.
Heidenreich is on the Steelers’ active roster as of Sept. 23, 2026.
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at [email protected]. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker_.
Reporting by Finch Walker, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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