Federal investigators expanded the victim count in the case of Daejon Love, accused of posing as a San Francisco 49ers player to lure women into sending money with fake investment promises. Love and alleged accomplice Taylor Chan face wire fraud charges in Oregon for a scheme the FBI says grew far larger than initially thought.
FBI Special Agent Douglas A. Olson said at a Portland news conference that after initially suspecting Love and his 18-year-old accomplice defrauded 26 people, investigators now believe the overall number is 61. "We were surprised how many people were victimized in such a short period of time and then to have that many more come forward," Olson said. He warned that the fraud could be replicated by others running similar schemes.
Love, 35, and Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, were arrested on August 24 at the Boise, Idaho airport and charged by criminal complaint in Portland, Oregon with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. According to court documents and a Justice Department press release, the scheme ran from February 2022 until the day of their arrests, targeting women in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California.
Prosecutors allege that Love met most of the women on dating apps including Tinder, Bumble and Facebook Dating. He created fictitious personas, posing as a 49ers player — sometimes described as a wide receiver — a former NFL athlete, or a wealthy real estate investor. He backed the act with football footage, luxury cars, designer clothing and team gear so convincing that the 49ers and the NFL had to confirm to investigators he never worked for either. In many cases, Love convinced victims they were in sincere romantic relationships and told them he wanted to build wealth and a future together.
The pitch was investment. Love advertised nonexistent investment vehicles he claimed would generate massive returns, showing victims fake bank balances on his phone and screenshots of phony gains. Chan falsely posed as Love's financial adviser, joining three-way calls to demonstrate the validity of the investments and further earn victims' trust. In total, the pair allegedly stole $1.3 million. Some women took out personal loans. Court papers say that once cash dried up or questions started, Love cut contact and kept the funds — and none of the victims interviewed said they received any return.
One woman, Gwen Herndon, says she tried to warn the 49ers months before the arrests. She contacted the team on December 20, 2025 via a complaint form, writing that a man pretending to be a 49ers player was scamming victims and damaging the team's reputation. She also sued Love in Oregon small claims court, alleging she gave him $10,000 for a property investment and that he blocked her when she asked for it back. The allegations against Love and Chan have not been proved in court.