Man Posed as 49ers Player, Defrauded Women of $1.3 Million, Prosecutors Say

Federal prosecutors have accused a man, Daejon Labrayae Love, of posing as a San Francisco 49ers player to defraud women out of approximately $1.3 million. Authorities allege Love used a fake NFL identity, complete with a verified social media profile and fabricated investment schemes, to target at least 26 women.

Love pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was ordered detained as a flight risk by Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo. A public defender representing him did not respond to requests for comment.

Authorities contend that Love, who also allegedly used aliases including Jon Love, Avril Lyto Love, and Jordan Love, presented himself as a professional athlete to build trust before pitching fraudulent investment opportunities. An alleged accomplice, Taylor Jamie Chan, reportedly posed as a financial advisor to facilitate the scam, using fake bank and investment accounts that showed inflated balances and staging FaceTime calls to depict fabricated gains.

Some victims allegedly took out personal loans based on Love's promises of quick repayment, according to an FBI affidavit. While some victims reportedly received initial fabricated returns to encourage further investment, federal investigators state that no victims interviewed reported receiving actual returns after sending money.

One woman, Domonique DuBose, recounted how she became suspicious of Love after meeting him on the dating app Hinge. Despite his Instagram account boasting 85,000 followers and a blue checkmark, featuring images of luxury cars and what appeared to be a football lifestyle, DuBose became wary. She noted that Love's profile claimed he was an NFL receiver, but his rapid advance and claims of a wealthy Swiss family and Gucci store ownership interests seemed incongruous with a football career.

DuBose took precautions by giving Love her work cell phone number instead of her personal one. She also conducted her own investigation, checking NFL rosters and Love's college football history. She noted that nearly every photo featured 49ers merchandise, which struck her as unusual for a professional athlete. Federal investigators later confirmed with representatives of the NFL and the 49ers that Love had never been employed by either organization.

According to the FBI affidavit, investigators allege Love used football-related imagery, including 49ers gear and custom helmets, to support his claims. Investigators are still working to verify allegations from an additional 35 women who have come forward since the initial arrests, which could bring the total number of alleged victims to 61.

In response to such incidents, experts advise caution when meeting individuals online. Recommendations include independently verifying claimed careers, being wary of partners who rush intimacy or financial discussions, initially keeping personal contact information private, and performing reverse image searches on photos. It is also advised never to invest money based on an online relationship and to question any inconsistencies in a person's story. If a potential victim believes they have been defrauded, authorities recommend contacting their bank or payment provider immediately, preserving evidence, reporting the fraud to the FBI via IC3.gov or the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and notifying the dating app. For those with information specifically involving Daejon Love or Taylor Chan, tips can be submitted through tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.