Man Posed as 49ers Player, Feds Say 26 Women Lost $1.3M

A man allegedly built a dating-app persona around one powerful claim: he played for the San Francisco 49ers. Federal prosecutors say the football identity was fake – but the money 26 women sent him was real.

Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, and Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, were arrested Aug. 24 and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon says financial records show the pair received about $1.3 million from identified victims.

The FBI believes there may be more victims.

The NFL Persona Helped Sell the Story

According to federal court documents, Love met many of the women through dating apps and portrayed himself as wealthy. Prosecutors say he sometimes claimed to be an NFL player for the 49ers and at other times presented himself as a successful real-estate investor.

Social-media images allegedly reinforced the story. The government says Love displayed a lavish lifestyle and used football-related imagery to make the persona more believable.

NBC Bay Area and CBS San Francisco reported that authorities say he never played for the 49ers. Prosecutors allege that the sports identity helped establish credibility before conversations turned toward money.

The Romance Shifted Into Investments

Federal prosecutors say Love convinced women they were in sincere romantic relationships with him and talked about building wealth and a future together. Chan allegedly posed as Love’s financial adviser to make proposed investments appear legitimate.

The complaint says the men used fake bank and investment balances, investment-related messages and three-way FaceTime calls to show supposed gains. Some women allegedly sent their own money. Others were encouraged to take out personal loans.

Authorities say the investments did not exist. Of the identified victims interviewed by investigators, none reported receiving returns, proceeds or meaningful account information after sending money.

Investigators Say the Scheme Lasted Four Years

The alleged scheme began in February 2022 and continued until the arrests this month. Federal investigators say Love traveled through several western states during July and August and that he was in Idaho to meet new potential victims when agents moved in.

Chan flew from California to Boise on Aug. 24, according to prosecutors. Both men were arrested there and remained in federal custody as the case began.

Love is accused of using several names, including Jon Love and Jordan Love. The FBI has asked anyone with information about either defendant to come forward.

The Claim Was Familiar. The Future Was Invented.

The alleged scheme worked by mixing recognizable status with personal trust: an NFL identity, a romantic relationship and screenshots that appeared to show wealth growing in real time.

The charges remain allegations, and both men are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. But the government says at least 26 women were persuaded to send money before the story unraveled.

References: DOJ - Man Posing as 49er Charged in $1.3M Fraud | CBS San Francisco - Man Accused of Posing as 49ers Player | NBC Bay Area - Man Poses as 49ers Player

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