Man posed as a 49ers player and allegedly scammed 26 women out of $1.3 million

Federal authorities have charged two men, Daejon Labrayae Love, 35, and Taylor Jamie Chan, 18, with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud after an extensive scheme that allegedly defrauded 26 women out of more than $1.3 million. The pair was apprehended by law enforcement at an airport in Boise, Idaho. 

As reported by BroBible, the arrest followed a period of intense travel for Love, who reportedly visited New Mexico, California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Idaho. It is clear that investigators believe this operation was still active at the time of their capture, as Love was reportedly in Idaho to meet with potential new targets.

The core of this operation was built on a web of deception that targeted women across Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California. According to court documents, the scheme began in February 2022. Love primarily met his victims through various dating apps, where he worked to build romantic relationships. 

He presented himself as a wealthy man

He frequently shared his desire to build a future and substantial wealth with these women, effectively lowering their defenses. To maintain this facade, Love reportedly cultivated a persona of a wealthy, successful individual. He often portrayed himself as a high-earning real estate investor or, perhaps most audaciously, as a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers.

On Instagram, Love reportedly went to great lengths to convince people of his status as a professional athlete. He claimed that while he was not selected in the NFL Draft, he eventually secured a spot on the team as a free agent. In one Instagram Story titled “NFL Journey,” Love reportedly filmed himself driving while holding a 49ers helmet.

In that video, he said, “I’m on my way to get my mom. I know I get a lot of fans who want to know how football works or how I got involved in the league…. If you know me and see me in person I’ll explain. I chose SF because it was the right time. I was kind of already living in the Bay and it just worked out for me.”

To add a layer of perceived legitimacy to his financial claims, Love brought in his accomplice, Chan. Chan reportedly acted as an investment adviser, and the two would often collaborate to solidify the trust of their victims. 

They frequently exchanged electronic messages that appeared to be professional investment advice, which Love would then share with the women as proof that he was working with a sophisticated expert. They reportedly even went as far as hosting three-way FaceTime calls to show victims falsified account balances and encourage them to hand over their money.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office noted, “The scheme relied on Love’s creation of fictitious personas and display of a lavish lifestyle which Love presented to victims both in person and on social media websites.” To keep the ruse going, Love reportedly utilized various phone applications to generate fake bank and investment account statements. 

He presented these fabricated numbers to his victims to prove that his investments were generating massive returns. When victims did not have enough cash on hand, Love would sometimes instruct them to take out personal loans, promising that they would be repaid quickly once the investments matured.

Once the victims reportedly ran out of money or began asking too many questions, Love simply blocked them and kept the funds. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated, “Once victims had no more money to invest, or if they asked too many questions, Love blocked communication with them, but kept their money.” 

The investigation confirmed that none of the victims received any returns on their principal, nor did they ever receive actual investment account information. While 26 victims have been identified so far, the FBI suspects there are many more individuals who have been affected by this fraud.

Love proved to be highly deceptive throughout the process, even reportedly using various aliases including Jon Love, Daejon Love, Avril Lyto Love, and Jordan Love. The criminal complaint was filed in Portland, Oregon, and the arrest warrants were issued shortly after.