Over 35 more women come forward against man who posed as fake NFL player

The FBI announced on Friday that more than 35 additional women have come forward with fraud claims against Daejon Love, 35, who is accused of impersonating a San Francisco 49ers player and wealthy investor. Authorities had earlier said Love defrauded more than two dozen women, many met through dating apps, out of a combined $1.3m.

Love and his alleged accomplice, 18-year-old Taylor Chan, who posed as his financial adviser, were arrested in August and charged with wire fraud. A public defender representing Love and an attorney for Chan did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

How the scheme worked

Federal authorities say Love used AI-assisted fake identities, fabricated investment accounts, and staged video calls with Chan to win the trust of women across California, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. He reportedly told some women he was a former NFL player and told others he was on injured reserve. Several women who believed they were in a relationship with him were persuaded to send money for investments promising high returns.

Prosecutors say the scheme ran from around February 2022 until the pair's arrest in August. It remains unclear how Love and Chan met. Court filings describe Love as nomadic, with little known about his family and no legitimate known source of income.

Since the arrest, videos and messages showing Love's apparent lavish lifestyle and 49ers memorabilia have circulated widely online, drawing mockery from some users. At a Friday press conference, Portland FBI special agent Douglas Olson pushed back against jokes targeting the victims, calling victim-blaming unjust and harmful, and stressing it ignores the calculated manipulation used to deceive them. He said victims were encouraged to take out personal loans and make life-altering financial decisions believing they were building a future together, only to be cut off once the money was gone, left without funds or closure. Olson urged any additional potential victims to contact law enforcement.