Who Is Daejon Love? Fake San Francisco 49ers Player $1.3 Million Scam Explained

Daejon Labrayae Love is a 35-year-old man accused by federal prosecutors of posing as a San Francisco 49ers player and wealthy investor while carrying out a yearslong romance-and-investment fraud scheme that allegedly took approximately $1.3 million from at least 26 women. Prosecutors say Love met many of the women through dating apps, convinced some they were in serious romantic relationships with him and then promoted fictitious investments supposedly managed by 18-year-old Taylor Jamie Chan, who allegedly posed as his financial adviser. The FBI arrested Love and Chan at Boise Airport on August 24, 2026. Both face federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.

Fake San Francisco 49ers Persona

Prosecutors Say Love Falsely Presented Himself As A San Francisco 49ers Player. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, Love created fictitious personas and portrayed himself as legitimately wealthy, sometimes claiming to be an NFL player and at other times presenting himself as a successful real-estate investor. [DOJ]

Love Wore 49ers Gear And Posted Images Suggesting He Was Part Of The Team. Prosecutors say his social-media posts included photographs and videos designed to reinforce the impression that he was a professional football player. [CBS San Francisco] [Los Angeles Times]

Love Also Showed Off Luxury Cars And A Lavish Lifestyle. Prosecutors say those displays helped make his claims of wealth and professional-sports success appear credible to potential victims. [Reuters]

“That’s Google, Not Me”

Love Allegedly Used Google Search Results To Reinforce His Fake Identity. The Los Angeles Times reported that one social-media video showed a Google AI Overview describing “Daejon Love” as a San Francisco 49ers wide receiver. [Los Angeles Times]

Love Then Pointed To The Search Result As Supposed Independent Confirmation. In the video, he reportedly emphasized that the information was coming from Google rather than from him. [Los Angeles Times]

The Episode Shows How Search Results And AI-Generated Summaries Can Reinforce A False Persona. There is no evidence Love ever played for the 49ers, but online material about his fake identity allegedly became part of the evidence he used to convince others that the persona was real. [Los Angeles Times]

Dating Apps And Romance Allegations

Prosecutors Say Love Met Most Of The Women Through Dating Apps. The federal complaint alleges that he cultivated romantic relationships with women in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California. [DOJ]

Some Women Believed They Were In Serious Relationships With Him. Prosecutors say Love used the romantic relationships to build trust before introducing supposed investment opportunities. [Reuters]

Ayana Velasquez Says She Saw Through Him

Ayana Velasquez Says She Met Love Through A Dating App In 2021. She told CBS News that Love introduced himself under the name “Jonathan” and talked about building a future together. [CBS News]

Velasquez Says Love Talked About Marriage, Children And Buying Her A House. She said the promises came quickly and ultimately struck her as too good to be true. [CBS News]

She Did Not Learn His Real Name Until The Arrest Became News. Velasquez told CBS that she recognized his face after seeing coverage of the federal case. [CBS News]

Domonique DuBose Says She Was Nearly Scammed

Domonique DuBose Met Love Through Hinge In 2025. She told the San Francisco Chronicle that Love claimed he was an NFL player and showed her material intended to support that claim. [San Francisco Chronicle]

DuBose Says Love Showed Her A Video From Inside The 49ers Locker Room. The footage helped make his story seem plausible even though she remained skeptical. [San Francisco Chronicle]

She Says The Experience Changed How She Views Romance-Scam Victims. DuBose said she had previously assumed victims should have done more research, but later came to understand how a carefully constructed online identity can make deception appear credible. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Taylor Jamie Chan Allegedly Posed As Financial Adviser

Prosecutors Say Chan Posed As Love’s Financial Adviser. The 18-year-old allegedly helped persuade women that Love’s investment opportunities were legitimate. [DOJ]

Chan Allegedly Participated In Three-Way Calls With Victims. Prosecutors say he helped present fake investment gains and financial information during FaceTime and other calls. [Los Angeles Times] [CBS San Francisco]

Fake Investment Accounts

Victims Were Allegedly Shown Fake Account Balances. Prosecutors say Love and Chan used a demonstration version of an investment app to make it appear that victims’ money had grown substantially. [People]

One Screenshot Allegedly Showed More Than $5 Million In Cash And $15 Million In Investments. Authorities say fabricated balances were used to reinforce the image that Love was wealthy and financially successful. [CBS San Francisco]

Victims Encouraged To Borrow Money

Prosecutors Say Some Women Were Encouraged To Take Out Personal Loans. Love and Chan allegedly pressured victims to put increasingly large amounts of money into the fictitious investments. [Los Angeles Times]

Authorities Say Victims Received No Investment Returns. Federal investigators say women interviewed by the FBI did not receive their principal back, investment proceeds or legitimate account information. [CBS San Francisco]

Victims Allegedly Blocked Or Threatened

Prosecutors Say Love Cut Off Communication When Victims Ran Out Of Money Or Asked Too Many Questions. The federal complaint alleges that contact often ended once a woman stopped sending funds or began challenging his story. [CBS San Francisco]

One Woman Sought A Restraining Order After Alleged Threats. People reported that at least one alleged victim pursued legal protection because of threatening behavior. [People]

Alleged “Scamming” Message

Investigators Say Chan Referred To Love As Scamming Women In A Message To Another Associate. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that in March 2024, Chan allegedly wrote that Love was “scamming these hoes.” [San Francisco Chronicle]

$1.3 Million In Alleged Losses

Financial Records Show About $1.3 Million Was Sent To Love And Chan. Federal prosecutors say that amount represents money obtained from alleged victim investors during the scheme. [DOJ]

At Least 26 Victims Have Been Identified. The FBI says it believes the true number could be significantly higher. [DOJ]

Multiple Aliases

Love Allegedly Used Several Names. The Justice Department says he has used Jon Love, Daejon Love, Avril Lyto Love and Jordan Love. [DOJ]

The Different Names Helped Support Different Personas. Prosecutors say Love sometimes presented himself as a professional football player and at other times as a wealthy investor. [People]

Arrest At Boise Airport

Love And Chan Were Arrested On August 24, 2026. FBI agents apprehended both men at Boise Airport in Idaho. [DOJ]

Investigators Say Chan Had Flown From California To Meet Love. The FBI had been tracking their movements after federal warrants were issued. [DOJ]

Authorities Say Love Was In Idaho To Meet New Potential Victims. Investigators allege he continued pursuing new women up until the day of his arrest. [DOJ]

Travel Across Six States

Investigators Say Love Traveled Extensively Before His Arrest. Between July 15 and August 24, 2026, he allegedly traveled through New Mexico, California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah and Idaho. [DOJ]

Real 49ers Players React

Several Actual 49ers Players Have Now Commented On The Case. The San Francisco Chronicle asked players about Love after the story became widely known. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Rookie Wide Receiver De’Zhaun Stribling Called The Situation Hilarious. Stribling had recently switched to jersey No. 7, the same number Love allegedly claimed as part of his fake 49ers identity. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Jarrett Patterson Said The Case Shows Why People Should Not Believe Everything They See Online. The offensive lineman expressed disbelief that the impersonation had apparently convinced so many people. [San Francisco Chronicle]

49ers Were Not Involved

There Is No Evidence The San Francisco 49ers Participated In The Alleged Scheme. Love is accused of falsely appropriating the team’s identity and imagery; the organization and its players are not accused of wrongdoing. [DOJ]

Federal Charges

Love And Chan Are Charged With Conspiracy To Commit Wire Fraud And Wire Fraud. The federal case was filed in the District of Oregon. [DOJ]

The Charges Were Initially Filed By Criminal Complaint. Arrest warrants were issued on August 17 before the two men were arrested a week later. [DOJ]

Case Status

Love And Chan Remain Accused In Federal Court. The case concerns an alleged scheme beginning in February 2022 and continuing until their August 24, 2026 arrests. [DOJ]

At Least 26 Alleged Victims Have Been Identified. Federal investigators say they believe additional women may have been targeted. [DOJ]

The Alleged Losses Remain Approximately $1.3 Million. No newer federal filing has publicly increased that total as of September 4, 2026. [Reuters]

The Charges Have Not Been Proven In Court. Love and Chan remain presumed innocent unless and until convicted.