What to know about alleged Shopify scam targeting NFL players

A pair of former Giants say they are among the victims of a wide-reaching alleged scam targeting NFL players and others — a scandal in which the accused fraudster was found dead in New Jersey.

The body of Mohamed Coulibaly was discovered this month in the swimming pool of a Harrison Township home, according to ABC, weeks after he was named in a Barron’s investigative report about the alleged scheme.

Coulibaly, 24, of New Jersey was accused of tricking clients into investing in fake online stores powered by the e-commerce platform Shopify and making them believe they owned successful businesses. All of this allegedly occurred under a larger company run by Coulibaly called Motion Venture.

A complaint over the purported improprieties was filed to the Securities and Exchange Commission in February, according to ESPN. Now, the death of Coulibaly, which was discovered during a welfare check, is being investigated by authorities as well.

Tae Crowder, a Giants linebacker from 2020-22, said he lost at least $500,000, according to ESPN.

Matt Brieda, a seven-year NFL running back who played for the Giants from 2022-23, said he invested $250,000 in what the SEC complaint described as a “larger pooled ‘escrow’ structure” that promised quicker returns than the Shopify stores.

“Every time we talked to him, it’s the same thing,” Breida told ESPN. “‘This is the reason why. The bank. We’re waiting on the people from overseas.’ So it gets to a point where it’s like, OK, it’s not going nowhere.”

Promotional material claimed Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Carter and former teammates Nakobe Dean and Terrell Edmunds were clients of Coulibaly, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

A pitch deck also named Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider, former NBA star John Wall and the rapper YG.

“I just seen a lot of different names on there that were legit,” Crowder told ESPN. “People, NFL players, different players. And I was like, all right, it’s got to be legit, you know.”

“I wish I put my money somewhere else … instead of looking for a quicker investment.”

A spokesperson for the Seahawks told ESPN that Schneider invested and lost money after being introduced to the opportunity by former Arizona Cardinals GM Steve Keim.

Keim, who was reportedly named in a pitch deck as Motion Venture’s chief operation/growth officer, told ESPN he worked with Coulibaly but that he lost a seven-figure dollar investment.

“I’ve not been compensated,” Keim said. “So not only has my name been used, I’m a victim.”

The NFL players caught up in the alleged scheme still hope to recoup their losses after Coulibaly’s death, they told ESPN. Neither Crowder nor Brieda has played in the NFL since 2023.

No charges have been filed in relation to Coulibaly’s alleged scheme or in connection with his death.