A Florida-based sports lender is suing a brokerage firm for negligence after an impersonator stole $4.375 million in a loan fraud targeting Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney. The case highlights the rising risk of athlete identity scams within professional sports finance.
According to court documents and reporting by Daniel Kaplan for The Guardian, Aliya Sports Finance Fund (ASFF) filed the lawsuit against Sure Sports in 2023. The complaint alleges Sure Sports failed to perform adequate due diligence when it introduced a person fraudulently claiming to be McKinney to secure a seven-figure loan. ASFF paid the loan proceeds to the imposter, who then vanished with the funds. Sure Sports reportedly earned an $87,500 fee for the introduction.
The civil trial is scheduled for July 2026 in Florida, where both firms are located. The lawsuit reveals that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is now investigating the transaction. Crucially, the real Xavier McKinney is not a defendant in the case. His representation agency, Athletes First, declined to comment when approached by the reporter.
The fraud occurred against a backdrop of significant legitimate financial activity for the NFL player. McKinney signed a four-year, $67 million contract with the Packers on March 14, 2024, which included a $23 million signing bonus. The fraudulent loan closed just weeks later, on April 2, 2024.
Separately, Kaplan notes that McKinney himself was reportedly a victim of a different scam artist. This connection follows a recent U.S. indictment of Kwamaine Jerrell Ford, accused of posing as an adult film star to defraud multiple NBA and NFL athletes. While the reporting does not link Ford directly to the McKinney impersonation loan, it underscores a pattern of sophisticated cons targeting high-earning players. The NFL Players Association has recently warned agents about such threats.
The lawsuit against Sure Sports centers on a failure in standard verification protocols. ASFF asserts it was misled by the impostor, who successfully pretended to be the Pro Bowl safety to facilitate the theft. The case serves as a stark reminder to financial institutions and athletes alike about the critical importance of rigorous identity verification in high-value transactions. As the legal proceedings advance toward 2026, the outcome may set a precedent for liability in sports finance introductions marred by inadequate vetting.
